Blurred
by Tina-chan V
Summary: Life in HeartClan is peaceful until mysterious kidnappings begin to take place. When her mother is stolen away, Moonpaw is both devasted and determined to get her back. Of course, she doesn't quite know what she's in for. (Rated M for sex, violence, etc.)
1. Allegiances

**Hello, my lovelies! After a bit of inner debate, I decided that I was willing to work on this new piece alongside my other stories; a choice that I may regret.**

 **This story involves nekos, not cats. Basically, nekos look like humans with cat ears, tails, etc.**

 **There are some changes in the Clans, so here are some explaining-things:**

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Head-Males** **–** The "leaders". These guys have the most authority and the first pick of sex-partners. Their word is law in the Clans. In order to become a head-male, you must either be chosen as a successor or beat the other candidates for the position in a fight. There are only up to five head-males at once.

 **Medicine Holders** **-** Healers. Medicine holders are sworn to abstinence, meaning that they can never know the pleasure that is sex. They're chosen at birth by the medicine holder before them. These people are the most decorative, since they might sport various accessories, jewelry, or body-paint.

 **Soldiers -** Adult men. They hunt for and protect the Clan. Every-now-and-then, they will kidnap kittypets/rogues/loners in order to bring new blood into the Clan.

 **Lovers** – Adult women. While they can hunt and fight to an extent, they stick to more domestic duties. Despite this, they are to be treated with just as much respect as anyone else. Unfortunately, that rule isn't always followed.

 **Apprentices** – Boys and girls from ages 10-16. Boys will be trained by a mentor to become soldiers, whereas girls are taught by all the women to be lovers.

 **Kit-Bearers** – Mothers of children under 10 years of age. Fortunately for them, once their kits are able to walk on their own, they can leave the nursery for short periods of time, allowing their kits to be baby-sat by other kit-bearers in their absence.

 **Elders** – Retired soldiers and lovers. Usually, a person will become an elder around the ages of 50-60. Head-males may delay this, since some will retire as old as 80. They are the most respected rank, just behind head-males.

 **Toys** – Sex-slaves. This rank is usually made up of traitors or captured enemies. Occasionally, soldiers or lovers that have broken the code, or something similar, are punished by becoming toys for a set amount of time. There is a certain amount of times that a toy must have sex before they can be freed.

 **There are two Clans: HeartClan and LoveClan.**

 **HeartClan** – Situated in what was once ThunderClan and WindClan territory. They're your basic Clan, but they are much more respectful and honest than LoveClan. Still, there are some people in this Clan that are less than good-hearted. Rape is a crime in this Clan.

 **LoveClan** – Located in what was once ShadowClan and RiverClan territory. Their camp is where ShadowClan's was. This Clan is not hesitant to commit terrible acts in order to secure their own future. Females are not as valued here, and are sometimes treated horribly. Rape is ignored in this Clan.

* * *

 **HEARTCLAN:**

 **Head-Males:**

Sandstorm – 6'3". Creamy-skinned man w/ long, sandy-blonde hair and dark-brown eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 31 yrso. Pale-ginger ears and tail.

Flamepelt – 6'4". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, red hair and golden-amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 28 yrso. Ginger ears and tail.

Stormstrike – 6'0". Tan-skinned man w/ short, black hair and dark-green eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 25 yrso. Dark-gray ears and tail.

Whitestar – 5'11". Pale-skinned man w/ short, white hair and violet eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 24 yrso. White ears and tail.

 **Medicine Holder:** Raincloud – 5'7". Pale, yet creamy-skinned man w/ semi-long, grayish-white hair and dark-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 29 yrso. Light-gray tabby ears and tail.

 **Soldiers:**

Mudfeather – 6'2". Tan-skinned man w/ long, dark-brown hair that fades to auburn at the tips and amber eyes. Well-muscled and broad-shouldered. 35 yrso. Dark-brown, long-furred, ears and tail.

Redstorm – 5'10". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, red hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 33 yrso. Ginger ears and tail.

Hollowheart – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, blonde hair and green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 33 yrso. Ginger-and-cream ears and tail.

Blackflash – 5'10". Tan-skinned man w/ short, black hair and red eyes. Slim and lean-muscled. 32 yrso. Black ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Jaypaw

Bramblestorm – 6'2". Creamy-skinned man w/ light-brown hair and brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 31 yrso. Light-brown tabby ears and tail.

Sunspot – 5'9". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, messy blonde hair, bushy eyebrows, and green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 28 yrso. Curled, ginger (left) and white (right) ears and a ginger tail.

Mottlefur – 6'1". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, neat brown hair and amber-red eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 28 yrso. Mottled, brown ears and tail.

Oakfoot – 6'0". Olive-skinned man w/ semi-long, black hair and amber eyes. Lanky and broad-shouldered. 27 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Foxheart – 6'0". Tan-skinned man w/ short, ruffled red hair and brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 26 yrso. Black ears and a fluffy, white-tipped, ginger tail.

Stoneheart – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, white hair and dark, gray eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. Dark-gray ears and tail.

Silverclaw – 6'3". Pale-skinned man w/ short, light-silvery hair and dark, greenish-blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 24 yrso. Sleek, black ears and tail with white-tips.

Berrypatch – 5'9". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, brown hair and brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 23 yrso. Creamy-brown ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Nettlepaw

Russethawk – 5'3". Creamy-skinned man w/ semi-long, curly dark-red hair and jade-green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 21 yrso. Ginger ears and tail.

Ravenflight – 5'10". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, black hair that curls at the ends and indigo eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. 20 yrso. Black-and-white ears and tail.

Stormheart – 6'5". Creamy-skinned man w/ long, pale-gray hair and amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 20 yrso. Dark-gray, almost black, tabby ears and tail.

Blueleaf – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ bluish-silver hair and brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 20 yrso. Silvery-gray ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Needlepaw

Snowstep – 5'6". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, white hair and heterochromatic eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 18 yrso. Snowy-white, long-furred, ears and tail.

 **Lovers:**

Stormfeather – 5'7". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, wavy black hair and blue eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. B-cup. 37 yrso. Pale-gray, long-furred ears and tail. **Guard:** Redstorm

Petalwing – 5'4". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, white hair and amber eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. C-cup. 35 yrso. White, long-furred, ears and tail.

Hazelmist – 5'3". Creamy-skinned woman w/ semi-long, ash-blonde hair and hazel eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. D-cup. 33 yrso. Brown-and-white ears and tail.

Primrosefall – 6'0". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, blonde hair (in spiraled twin-tails) and pale-green eyes. Small-shouldered and well-muscled. DD-cup. 30 ½ yrso. Pale-golden, brownish tipped ears and tail. **Guard:** Foxheart

Nightshimmer – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, wavy black hair and violet eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 30 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Frostbite – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, white hair and ice-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. C-cup. 28 yrso. White ears and a long, white tail. **Guard:** Berrypatch

Sheeplight – 5'1". Olive-skinned woman w/ platinum-blonde hair (pinned back) and golden-amber eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. A-cup. Creamy-white ears and bobbed tail. **Guard:** Mudfeather

Nightsong – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ very long, black hair (tied into a high pony-tail) and blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 25 yrso. Tortoiseshell-and-white ears and tail. **Guard:** Stoneheart

Darkwhisper – 5'9". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, black hair and red eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. C-cup. 25 yrso. Black ears and a sleek, black tail.

Quailgaze – 5'0". Creamy-skinned woman w/ semi-long, brown hair and bluish-violet eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. C-cup. 24 yrso. Brown, gray-tipped ears and tail with white dapples. **Guard:** Ravenflight

Sweetheart – 5'6". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, dark-gray hair and light-brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 23 yrso. Gray tabby ears and tail.

Honeyfur – 5'8". Olive-skinned woman w/ short, dark-blonde hair with brown tips and dark-blue eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. C-cup. 20 yrso. Golden tabby ears and tail. **Guard:** Bramblestorm

Ashcloud – 5'5". Pale, yet creamy-skinned girl w/ long, wavy black hair (bangs to the side) and silvery-gray eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 16 yrso. Gray ears with a black stripe down each, and a long, dark-gray tail with a light tip. **Guard:** Sunspot

(2 More Needed)

 **Apprentices:**

Jaypaw – 5'7". Pale-skinned boy w/ short, gray hair and blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 15 yrso. Silver-and-black ears and tail.

Moonpaw – 5'3". Creamy-skinned girl w/ long, slightly-wavy black hair and hazel eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 15 yrso. Black ears and tail, tipped with white. **Guard:** Stormheart

Nettlepaw – 5'3". Creamy-skinned boy w/ light-brown hair and dark-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 13 yrso. Brown-and-cream ears and tail.

Needlepaw – 5'4". Pale-skinned boy w/ light-brown hair and ice-blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 13 -brown ears and tail.

Ravenpaw – 4'9". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, black hair (in ponytail) and violet eyes. Lanky and lean-muscled. 12 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Smokepaw – 4'8". Pale-skinned girl w/ very long, dark-gray hair and orange-amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 12 yrso. Dark-gray, silver-tipped, ears and tail. **Guard:** Russethawk

Lavenderpaw – 4'7". Pale-skinned girl w/ very long, black hair and lavender eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 11 yrso. Black ears and tail. **Guard:** Hollowheart

Blackpaw – 4'7". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, black hair (in ponytail) and pale-green eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 11 yrso. Black ears and tail. **Guard:** Blueleaf

Darkpaw – 4'10". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, black hair (in ponytail) and dark-brown eyes. Slim and lean-muscled. 11 yrso. Black ears and tail. **Guard:** Mottlefur

 **Kit-Bearers:**

Nighttail – 5'5". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, straight black hair and light-brown eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 29 yrso. Black ears and a black, white-tipped, tail. Expecting Flamepelt's kits (6 months along) **Guard:** Flamepelt

Skywhisper – 5'7". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, curly dark-brown hair and sky-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. D-cup. 23 yrso. Dark-brown ears and a fluffy, dark-brown tail. Mother of Silverclaw's kit; Featherkit. **Guard:** Silverclaw

Brightpool – 5'6". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, wavy red hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 22 yrso. Ginger, white-flecked, ears and fluffy tail. Mother of Oakfoot's kits; Deerkit and Snakekit. **Guard:** Oakfoot

 **Kits:**

Snakekit – 3'9". Olive-skinned boy w/ short-black hair and blue eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. 5 yrso. Dark-brown tabby ears and tail.

Deerkit – 3'8". Olive-skinned boy w/ semi-long, auburn hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 5 yrso. Ginger tabby ears and tail.

Featherkit – 17". Creamy-skinned girl w/ brown hair and blue eyes. Soft-muscled and average. 3 days old. Dark-brown ears and tail.

 **Elders:**

Stagfoot – 5'9". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, whitening hair and brown eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 72 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail.

Liontail – 6'7". Olive-skinned man w/ long, pale-blonde hair and amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 59 yrso. Golden tabby ears and tail.

Milkmist – 5'5". Creamy-skinned woman w/ semi-long, curly black hair and amber eyes. Petite and slightly chubby. C-cup. 57 yrso. White ears and tail.

 **Toys:**

Chess – 5'2". Creamy-skinned girl w/ semi-long, black hair and violet eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. B-cup. 23 yrso. Black-and-white ears and tail. Must have sex 3 times.

Silver – 5'5". Pale-skinned girl w/ short, silver hair and stunning, violet eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. A-cup. 14 yrso. Black ears and tail with silver tips. Must have sex 10 times.

Slut – 5'3". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, wavy, dark-brown hair and dark-gray eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. B-cup. 14 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail. Must have sex 30 times.

Holly – 5'5". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, black hair (in a ponytail) and pale-green eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. B-cup. 14 yrso. Black ears and tail. Must have sex 11 times.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **LOVECLAN:**

 **Head-Males:**

Scorchfire – 6'4". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, unkempt dark-brown (almost black) hair and red eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 34 yrso. Nicked, black ears and (half) tail.

Blackheart – 5'11". Pale-skinned man w/ black hair and ice-blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 29 yrso. Dark circles around eyes. White, black-tipped, ears and tail.

Mudtooth – 6'1". Creamy-skinned man w/ brown hair and golden-amber eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 23 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail.

 **Medicine Holder:** Silvermist – 5'5". Pale-skinned woman w/ short, black hair and green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 34 yrso. Silver tabby ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Brightsky

 **Soldiers:**

Sharpglare – 6'3". Tan-skinned man w/ semi-long, dark-brown hair and pale-green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 36 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail.

Hawkglare – 6'1". Tan-skinned man w/ semi-long, pale-brown hair and ice-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 34 yrso. Pale-brown ears and tail with darker tips.

Boulderstrike – 5'11". Tan-skinned man w/ dark-gray hair and pale-gray eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 29 yrso. Pale-gray ears and tail.

Raccoonclaw – 6'4". Tan-skinned man w/ short, brownish-gray hair and amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 26 yrso. Black ears and a fluffy, black-tipped, brownish-gray tail.

Pinestorm – 6'0". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, brown hair and blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 26 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail.

Wolfthorn – 6'1". Creamy-skinned man w/ semi-long, messy, dark ash-brown hair and sharp, green eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 26 yrso. Slightly wolf-like, dark ash-brown ears and a long, fluffy ash-brown tail. **Apprentice,** Volepaw

Brokenheart – 5'5". Pale-skinned man w/ dull, gray hair and bright-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. Black ears and tail.

Ratfang – 5'11". Tan-skinned man w/ long, black hair (in ponytail) with wild bangs and amber-red eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 25 yrso. Skinny, black ears and tail.

Brackenfur – 6'1". Olive-skinned man w/ dark-brown hair and green eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 25 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail.

Thornslash – 6'2". Pale-skinned man w/ short, black hair and pale, orange-amber eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 25 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Wasptail – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ black hair and violet eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 24 yrso. Gray tabby ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Sunpaw

Cobrastrike – 6'8". Olive-skinned man w/ curly, dark-brown hair and green eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 23 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail.

 **Lovers:**

Dovefoot – 5'11". Creamy-skinned woman w/ gray hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. A-cup. 33 yrso. Gray ears and tail.

Sagefeather – 5'10". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, umkempt, pale grayish-brown hair (in a right-side ponytail) with uneven bangs and sleepy, violet eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. D-cup. 29 ½ yrso. Gray ears and tail.

Vixenskip – 6'0". Pale-skinned woman w/ short, straight auburn hair and dark-brown eyes. Small-shouldered and well-muscled. C-cup. 28 yrso. Large, ginger-and-black ears and a white-tipped, ginger tail.

Brindlefrost – 5'9". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, ash-brown hair (partially in two pigtails) and sharp, blue eyes. Noticeable fangs. B-cup. 26 yrso. Slightly wolf-like, ash-brown ears and a long, fluffy ash-brown tail.

Willowpelt – 5'4". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, white hair (in pigtails) and red eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. B-cup. 23 yrso. White ears and tail.

Robinfeather – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ red hair and green eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. DD-cup. 21 yrso. Reddish-brown ears and tail.

Raindrop – 5'6". Tan-skinned woman w/ semi-long, silvery-gray hair and blind, blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. C-cup. 20 yrso. Pale-gray ears and tail.

Marigoldblossom – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, flowing, silver hair and violet eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 20 yrso. White, silver-flecked, ears and tail.

Frostleaf – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, thick, silky white hair with a tinge of blue and misty-gray eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. C-cup. 18 yrso. Silky, tuffed, bluish-white ears and a bluish-tipped tail.

Lavenderbreeze – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, wavy, black hair and silvery-lavender eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 17 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Darkcloud – 5'8". Creamy-skinned woman w/ short, black hair and dark-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. A-cup. 17 yrso. Black ears and tail.

 **Apprentices:**

Brightsky – 5'11". Olive-skinned boy w/ short, white hair and brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 22 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail.

Sunpaw – 5'9". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, blonde hair and pale-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 15 yrso. Golden tabby ears and tail.

Milkpaw – 5'3". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, curly white hair with silvery tips and light-violet eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 14 yrso. Very pale, gray tabby ears and tail with black stripes.

Volepaw – 5'5". Tan-skinned boy w/ semi-long, slightly-ruffled brown hair and light-violet eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 13 yrso. Brownish-gray ears and tail.

 **Kit-Bearers:**

Darkflower – 5'6". Creamy-skinned woman w/ dark-brown hair and blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. DD-cup. 28 yrso. Black ears and tail. Mother of Wolfthorn's kits; Cherrykit, Ripplekit, and Flamekit.

Silverdapple – 5'10". Tan-skinned girl w/ black hair and amber eyes . Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. A-cup. 19 yrso. Silver ears and a bushy, silver tail. Mother of Scorchfire's kits; Crowkit and Marshkit

 **Kits:**

Ripplekit – 3'6". Creamy-skinned boy w/ black hair and blue eyes. Soft-muscled and average. 5 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Cherrykit – 3'5". Creamy-skinned girl w/ auburn hair and brown eyes. Soft-muscled and average. 5 yrso. Tortoiseshell ears and tail.

Flamekit – 3'5". Creamy-skinned boy w/ chestnut-red hair and light-brown eyes. Soft-muscled and small. 5 yrso. Ginger tabby ears and tail.

Crowkit – 3'1". Tan-skinned boy w/ black hair and red eyes. Soft-muscled and average. 3 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Marshkit – 3'0". Olive-skinned girl w/ brown hair and red eyes. Soft-muscled and average. 3 yrso. Brown-and-black ears and tail.

 **Elders:**

(4 Needed)

 **Toys:**

Swirl – Gray-and-silver haired girl w/ deep blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. D-cup. 19 yrso. Gray-and-silver ears and tail

Snakeshade – 5'4". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, curly light-brown hair and green eyes. Small-shouldered and well-muscled. 19 yrso. Light-brown tabby ears and tail. Formerly of HeartClan.

Blair – 5'3". Creamy-skinned girl w/ curly, strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. Petite and pudgy. D-cup. 19 yrso. Cream ears and tail. Former kittypet with a pink collar.

Shimmer – 4'11". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, wavy, black hair (in a ponytail) and violet eyes. Soft-muscled and small-shouldered. A-cup. 13 yrso. Black, silver-tipped, ears and tail. Must have sex 10 times.

Cum – 5'2". Pale-skinned girl w/ short, pale-brown hair and dark-gray eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 13 yrso. White, dark brown-tipped, ears and tail. Must have sex 50 times.

Stream – 5'0". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, black hair (in a ponytail) and lavender eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. A-cup. 13 yrso. Black ears and tail. Must have sex 20 times.

Fawn – 4'10". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, pale-brown hair (in a ponytail) and violet eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. A-cup. 13 yrso. Dark brown-and-white ears and tail.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **OUTSIDERS:**

Tilly – 5'6". Creamy-skinned woman w/ pale-blonde hair in a bob-cut and violet eyes. Slightly-pudgy and soft-muscled. C-cup. 23 yrso. Fluffy, light-brown ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a light-blue collar.

Violet – 5'5". Olive-skinned girl w/ long, black hair with brown edges and dark-brown eyes. Small-shoulder and soft-muscled. 18 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a red-violet collar.

Sebastian – 6'1". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, black hair and red eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 29 yrso. Sleek, black ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a black collar.

Ciel – 5'4". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, dark blue-gray hair and blue eyes. Slim and delicate. 17 yrso. Light blue-gray ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a midnight-blue collar.

Alois – 5'8". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 18 yrso. Golden ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a sea-green collar.

* * *

\- Before I post the form, I want to give you guys some tips. I simply want to get as many details right as possible, so bear with me.

\- Nekos are pregnant for 9 months, not 3 months like cats. If you are giving a pregnant kit-bearer, please include how far along she is.

\- A kit-bearers breasts will swell up when nursing/pregnant. So tell me what her normal cup-size is alongside what it is now.

\- The tanned skin gene can only be in people with RiverClan or outsider ancestry. This is because tanned skin cannot be found in the other three ancient Clans.

\- Include the cup-size for girls. If your character is too young to have breasts, tell me how large they are going to get. In the Clans, breast-size usually only gets up to DD.

\- Pale skin can be genetic, since it is a Tribe characteristic.

\- A neko should only be pudgy if they are elderly, getting over a pregnancy, or an outsider. This is because soldiers, lovers, head-males, etc. are constantly active.

\- If you submit a kit, tell me how they will physically grow. This means how tall they'll get, whether their shoulders will broaden, etc.

\- Types of shoulders: Broad and small. Keep in mind that broad shoulders are different for a man and a woman.

\- Types of muscle: Well, lean, and soft. Soft muscles should only be found in kits, kittypets, and (maybe) elders.

\- Types of Skin Tone: Pale, cream, olive, and tan (natural)

\- I will accept red and violet eyes, but keep hair and fur reasonable. No sky-blue hair or anything like that.

Now for the form:

 **Name:**

 **Age:**

 **Gender:**

 **Clan:**

 **Rank:**

 **Mentor/Apprentice:**

 **Description:**

 **Personality:**

 **Sexual Orientation:**

 **Mate/Crush:**

 **Kits:**

 **Parents:**

 **Other:**

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Just so you know, Moonkit is the main character.**

Some of the characters here are based off characters in TV, movies, games, etc.

Mudfeather – Mink from _DRAMAtical Murder_ **(WARNING: Nsfw)**

Nightsong – Tsubaki from _Soul Eater_

Sandstorm – Mifune from _Soul Eater_

Tilly – FEM!Finland from _Hetalia_

Bluepaw – Lapis Lazuli from _Steven Universe_

Sunspot – England from _Hetalia_

Sebastian, Ciel, and Alois – Same names from _Black Butler_

 **NOTE: _TheOtakuTiger,_ since there was only one apprentice spot left, I only accepted Bluepaw. I hope that this does not offend you.**

 ** _KickAssCountry,_** **if your cat is part of the Clan, please give her a clan name. If she was once an outsider, please include that detail.**

 ** _Aria_** **, I hope you don't mind that I made up the rest of Robinfeather's description. If you want it changed, let me know.**

 ** _MagaNerd,_** **I could only accept three of your characters due to how many spaces were open.**

With that said, farewell! ^q^/~


	2. Prologue: Birth

Sweat collected on heated skin, appearing as tiny beads that threatened to fall to the ground. Breaths were hot and labored, drying her tongue with each puff. Her heart pounded against her breastbone, so loud that it rang her ears like a bell. She shut her eyes tight, pain pulsing through her small body as she pushed with all her might.

"You're doing good, Hazelmist," Embertail said, his brown eyes locked between the woman's legs. His hands were slick with a mixture of water, blood, and amniotic-fluids. There might have been more of a mess if the medicine holder hadn't had an apprentice to assist, which they were all grateful for. Already, a newborn kit squirmed in the soiled nest, mewling in hopes of catching his mother's attention.

Beside her, Milkmist whispered gentle words of encouragement, all while allowing the younger to grasp her hand tightly. It was hard to focus on what she said, as the current situation caused words to fall together in her brain. Still, the older woman's comfort was more than welcome in the absence of her mate.

Hazelmist panted, and whimpered. She felt her second kit kick anxiously, as if excited to see the world outside her womb. Clenching her teeth, she gave a strong push, wanting nothing more than for this to be over and done with. The kit slid out more, its shoulders spreading her wide. She cried out from the pain that came with it.

Embertail pitied her plenty, but kept his attention on the little kit, "One more push should do it. Just one more and you're done, okay?"

Nodding her head in acknowledgement, Hazelmist gave one last heave. She was relieved as she felt the kit slip out of her, allowing the new mother to become limp in her nest. She remained like that while Embertail cleaned up the two kits, ridding them of various fluids with the bowl of water he'd brought with him. The mother watched intently, ready to spring up if the medicine holder handled her babies too roughly, despite her tired body. She was so focused that she barely noticed when Rainpaw offered her a few borage leaves, causing the boy to pat her shoulder gently, catching her attention. Finally, Embertail placed the little ones in her arms, "Congratulations, you have a boy and a girl."

Hazelmist was quick to take her kits. She only needed one look at them to fall completely in love. Her heart melted as she took in the sight of her babies.

The boy's face was a bit red, but he had clearly calmed down after drinking in his mother's scent. His tiny mouth opened and closed as he pushed his face into her chest.

As for the girl, she was whimpering quietly, having abandoned the urge to scream and cry. One of her feet kicked out slightly, nudging her brother as if telling him to quit squirming.

"They're lovely little dears," Milkmist commented. The older woman had backed off a bit, knowing that a new mother needed space. Thankfully, all of the older kits were outside.

"They are, aren't they?" Hazelmist agreed, sighing as her kits finally began to nurse. The pressure in her breasts was gradually relieved with each greedy suckle. She sat up a bit, looking around, "He's not here yet?"

Embertail shook his head as he collected his supplies, "No, not yet. I think Frecklenose and Oakpaw went out to fetch him from a patrol," he glanced at his apprentice, "Is that it, Rainpaw?"

Nodding, Rainpaw held the bowl and a few left-over herbs in his hands, "Yes."

Immediately after, Ashkit and Ravenkit rushed inside, asking loudly, "Are they here yet?"

Milkmist sighed, shaking her head and mumbling something to herself before Petalwing stuck her head in.

"I'm sorry! Snowkit fell and I wasn't paying attention to them," she explained. It was too late, though, as the other kits soon hurried in excitedly.

Bluekit eyed the newborns, "Why are they so small?"

"Why do you ask that same question ever time a kit is born?" Embertail countered, attempting to maneuver around the smaller nekos. Rainpaw didn't seem to have as much trouble, though. Instantly, Bluekit stuck his tongue out at the medicine holder.

"Bluekit, that's rude! Apologize right now," the boy's mother ordered.

Though reluctant, the kit grumbled out an apology to Embertail, who simply shrugged and accepted it.

Her little ones continued to nurse as if nothing else mattered more than filling their bellies. A bit of milk dribbled down her daughter's chin, but it was ignored. The sweet, yet warm scent was coating her kits as they gorged on her sustenance. They would continue to smell of milk until she felt it was time to wean them, which was likely to be in about two years. At least, that's how, long most kit-bearers were willing to breast-feed.

Hazelmist didn't really mind all the noise, having been forced to deal with it for about seven months. She shuddered when a chilly breeze drifted into the nursery. Leaf-bare was coming soon, which made her worry if there'd be enough food for her to make milk for her kits. Hopefully, it would be a good one that ended on time.

She looked out the entrance, wondering where her mate was. Why did he have to be on patrol when she went into labor? It should have been _his_ hand that she'd been squeezing, not Milkmist's. Not that she had anything against the woman, but still…

Embertail glanced back at her before leaving and assured her, as if he'd read her mind, "He'll be here soon."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: There's the prologue, my friends! I still need a lot more nekos, so keep sending 'em in! I mainly need a father for Moonkit and Jaykit, as you might be able to tell.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	3. Author's Note (Please Read)

**Listen, guys. I really want to move forward with this story, but I can't until most of the positions are filled. I hate to impose on you, but if you have the time, please send in some characters. There is no limit to how many, and I will gladly accept families. Just make sure that the positions you want to fill are open.**

 **Here are the close positions:**

 **HeartClan - Apprentices and Medicine Holder**

 **LoveClan - Medicine Holder**

 **Outsiders - All**

 **As you can see, there are plenty of positions left. So please help me out!**

 **Thank you, my lovelies!**

 **~ Tina**


	4. One: Chamomile

To say the least, Moonkit was upset.

She had watched as her former denmates became apprentices at that magical age known as ten. They got to travel outside the walls of HeartClan's camp and came back with fascinating stories. They were taught new and valuable skills by the adults, becoming smarter and stronger every day. They were given more freedom, allowed to leave camp as long as their duties were fulfilled. And where was Moonkit during all this?

In the nursery.

There was no one else for her to play with other than her brother, not since Ashkit became Ash _paw_ almost two years ago. Now that Moonkit and Jaykit were capable of doing most basic things on their own, Hazelmist would leave the nursery for long periods of time. That left them with Brightpool, who was five months pregnant and spent most of her time either sleeping, eating, or chatting with Hazelmist. There was Frostbite, too, but she had very little patience for kits.

Of course, their father almost never came to visit either. Not that Moonkit and Jaykit really minded, considering that Stoneheart wasn't very affectionate towards them. With all these factors, things had gotten boring.

That, of course, was why she came up with the excellent idea to visit Raincloud. The medicine holder's hut was bound to have something interesting, which anyone could tell just by looking at him. Raincloud's face had intricate swirls and markings, all painted on in blue. To Moonkit, that was a dead give-away.

She waited until after Raincloud had left in the afternoon to do some herb-hunting. Hazelmist was out again, and no one else seemed to notice her sneaking towards the small hut. As quietly as possible, she slipped inside.

Her eyes grew wide as she looked around, seeing all the different shelves that had been built into the structure. Almost all of them held some kind of herb inside, and Moonkit grew curious as she observed them. Some of the shelves were too high for her to see in, but she could smell them.

One specific shelf caught her attention. This one was filled with little white flowers, all of them having yellow centers. Seeing them gave her the sudden urge to eat one. She wasn't sure why, but she was plucking one up before she could stop herself.

"Bleh!" she exclaimed as soon as she'd chewed on it. The juices were absolutely disgusting for such a pretty little flower. Revolted, she spat it out.

"What are you doing in here?"

Moonkit's heart jumped as she heard that voice, knowing who it belonged to. Slowly, she turned to face Redstorm. The man's arms were crossed as he gazed down at her, letting her know that she'd been busted. To add salt to the wound, Raincloud appeared behind him. The medicine holder's eyes widened, and he raced into the hut, quickly grabbing onto Moonkit's small shoulders.

"Did you eat anything?" he asked, his face serious and grave. His blue eyes searched her own hazel orbs.

"Y-yes," Moonkit admitted. There was no use in lying, since Redstorm likely saw her spit out the flower. Her ears drooped as she prepared for a scolding.

Raincloud shook her slightly, "What did you eat? What did it look like?"

The girl instantly pointed into the flower-filled shelf, and she was surprised to see Raincloud relax afterwards. The man released her and stood up straight, "You're foolish for doing that. Don't you know that some of these things can kill you?"

Moonkit shook her head. Hazelmist had never warned her about eating any plant aside from deathberries. She shifted her feet, "Well, I didn't really eat it. It was gross, so I spat it out."

Raincloud seemed to notice the half-chewed flower that lay on the dirt ground, "Good. But that doesn't change the fact that you would do something like this."

"That's right," Redstorm piped up, "And it seems that your mother has returned; I'm sure she'd like to know about this."

"What? No, don't tell her!" Moonkit begged, running towards the man with her hands clasped together as if begging. But it seemed that Redstorm was having none of it, and he simply picked her up by the back of her shirt, nodding to Raincloud as he carried her off.

Moonkit struggled and kicked, managing to get a few whispers and giggles out of anyone who saw. Her attempts to get free were futile, much to her dismay. Redstorm plopped her down in front of the nursery, and called out to Hazelmist.

"I believe that this belongs to you," the man said, nudging Moonkit forward. The young girl was hesitant, but decided that she'd rather be closer to her brother when the lecture began. She scurried away from Redstorm and proceeded to latch onto Jaykit's arm.

"Where were you? I looked up and you were gone," her brother questioned, quirking his eyebrow at her.

"Shut-up," Moonkit said, watching the two adults.

Hazelmist was receiving the full story from Redstorm, and her face went from questioning, to shock, and then what seemed like anger. The last expression made Moonkit wince, tightening her grip on Jaykit's arm. She ignored the complaint that came from her brother, and didn't respond when he tried to shake her off. Eventually, Hazelmist thanked him and the soldier walked away, passing a glance towards Moonkit briefly.

The girl braced herself as her mother turned to face her and her brother. She knew that the attention was directed towards her, though. Hazelmist stayed silent for a moment before opening her mouth.

"Moonkit…you're not allowed to leave the nursery without someone else," she declared, "What you did was dangerous. I'm not angry with you – no, that's for Raincloud. Just…don't do anything like that again. Do you understand?"

Even though Moonkit didn't quite get why there was so much hype over a flower; a flower that she didn't even eat, but seeing the look on her mother's face made her nod instantly. She was pleased to know that Hazelmist wasn't mad at her, and happily hurried into the nursery when directed to.

As soon as they were inside, Jaykit nudged her, "What did you do?"

"Doesn't matter," Moonkit mumbled. She saw that Brightpool was napping again, and Frostbite was busily eating as her sons play-fought nearby. Nightshimmer was simply ignoring them as she adjusted her nest.

Hazelmist followed them in shortly after, and laid down in her nest, "It's time for your nap, kits."

Jaykit folded his arms and grumbled, tail flicking irritably, "Why do we have to take naps? We're going to be apprentices soon!"

"Because I'm your mother," the woman stated, "And I think that there's been enough action for you two today."

Moonkit tried not to notice the way her mother eyed her as she spoke. She hated the feeling that came with it, and was eager to gain back Hazelmist's affection. Obediently, she shuffled towards the nest and settled beside her mother. A moment later, Jaykit reluctantly joined them.

Their nest was comfortable, thanks to the apprentices constantly gathering supplies for the bedding of kit-bearers and elders. It was woven together with grass, and softened by feathers, moss, and leaves. Moonkit inhaled, relishing the scent of her mother and milk. Though they were too old to nurse, milk-scent never ceased to float in the air.

She blocked-out the sound of Frostbite snapping at her sons to "quiet down". In a few hours, she'd wake up and everything would be fine; she was sure of it. Jaykit was already falling asleep, despite what he'd said earlier, his breathing beginning to fall into a rhythm. A hand rested on Moonkit's head, leisurely stroking her black hair and occasionally rubbing her ears. Hazelmist was purring as she did this, and it only assured Moonkit even more.

Everything was going to be perfectly fine.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: This is actually inspired by a part of** _ **Bluestar's Prophecy**_ **, when Bluestar dared Snowfur to eat a poppy seed. It was my favorite part, due to the pure childish innocence that it displayed. This is also the only chapter that will feature Moonkit and Jaykit as kits in the end. In chapter 2, they'll become apprentices, and then the fun starts! :D**

 **Still working on getting all of the positions filled, but we're doing good so far!**

 **Now, I have something special. Since I can't decide on who to make Jaykit's mentor (Moonkit doesn't get a mentor), I will ask you guys who it should be. It can't be Stoneheart, because he is their father, and it can't be a lover.**


	5. Two: Apprenticeship

"There," Hazelmist assessed, "It took a while, but you two finally look presentable."

Moonkit shifted in her place as they waited for the Clan to gather. Her hair had been thoroughly combed and her face was washed passed the point of turning as crimson as autumn leaves. She hadn't realized that such sufferings came with becoming apprentices.

Just recently, Hazelmist had confirmed that they were ten years old, and Moonkit couldn't have been more excited. She had jumped with joy and went around telling everyone the news.

 _Her soon-to-be denmates congratulated her, smiling genuinely. Ashpaw had gone as far as jumping around in a circle, holding hands with Moonkit in their excitement. Most of their other clanmates gave some sign of happiness for her and her brother, varying from bright smiles to simple nods._

 _Then she ran into her father._

 _For whatever reason, her voice tripped over itself in a stutter, and she felt a twinge of fear in her sire's presence. Still, she told him that she would be an apprentice any day soon, with a small hope for approval. The whole time, Stoneheart's expression didn't change, remaining as stoic as ever. His gray eyes seemed to be scanning her, as if trying to find out if she was really worth his time._

 _The only thing he'd said was: "Don't screw-up."_

 _To Moonkit, she supposed that it was the most affectionate thing that he had ever said to her. Regardless, her father was still terrifying in her eyes, so she'd nodded and scurried away._

"Moonkit! Come on, it's time!" Jaykit said, shaking his sister and snapping her out of a spaced-out gaze. She blinked at him in confusion, wondering what he was talking about for a moment, before realizing it.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, quickly jumping up and rushing towards the exit of the nursery. She was stopped, however, by Hazelmist. The woman fished a tiny, gray feather from her hair, and then sent them out before her. Moonkit's face turned red from embarrassment, and a snicker from Jaykit didn't help.

By time they reached the main clearing, everyone was already sitting in the lush grass, turning to look at the kits. The attention almost made Moonkit want to run in the other direction, but Jaykit held her hand tight, as if he knew what she was thinking of doing. Together, they walked passed their older clanmates to stand before one of the head-males. The other three stood nearby, watching.

Flamepelt offered them a warm smile before speaking, "I, Flamepelt, ask that our ancestors look down on these kits. Allow them to learn what they must, and guide them onto the right path. For today, they are no longer kits, but apprentices. Now, until they earn their full names, they shall be Jaypaw and Moonpaw."

Moonpaw's heart bounced in her chest, pleased to hear her new name. Her eyes shone as she felt herself become filled with joy. Finally, after an entire decade, she'd be moving on from kithood. It was an amazing feeling that could challenge no other. Not in this moment, at least.

"Blackflash, I'd like for you to mentor Jaypaw. You are both intelligent and kind, with a mind flexible enough to teach him in a way that he can understand; and so I trust him to you. Train him well," the head-male continued. Blackflash nodded and approached Jaypaw. The older of the two knelt down to tap their noses together briefly. He then stood, and the two walked back to where Blackflash had been sitting.

Flamepelt then spoke in a way that addressed all of the women, "As with tradition, Moonpaw must look to all of the lovers for the knowledge she needs. Guide her properly."

Moonpaw nearly cried out in surprise when one of her hands was taken by another. Looking up, she saw Skywhisper standing beside her. The woman smiled and began to lead her towards the group of lovers. As they reached the fellow women, Flamepelt finished the ceremony with a few words, allowing the clan to disperse.

Immediately, Moonpaw saw Ashpaw rush up to her. A bright smile adorned the older girl's face, "You're finally an apprentice, Moonpaw! How do you feel?"

"Good, I guess," she replied, "I don't wanna throw-up anymore."

Ashpaw laughed, "I can get that."

Over the girl's shoulder, Moonpaw noticed that Jaypaw was walking off with his mentor. They were headed towards the camp exit. It seemed that Ashpaw noticed where her eyes were going, as suggested by what she said next.

"Oh, boys always get to see the territory first, but we don't," she said, glancing at Jaypaw as the boy eagerly followed Blackflash.

"Why not?" Moonpaw asked, tilting her head. She felt a bit of envy towards her brother as she learned this. At that moment, another girl walked up and took the chance to explain. It was Honeypaw, and she had probably been listening to their conversation.

"Our duties aren't reliant on knowing the territory, but boys' do," she explained, "But don't worry, you'll get to see it eventually."

Ashpaw seemed a bit ticked that Honeypaw had cut in, but a smile returned to her face as she looked back at Moonpaw, "Come on, I'll show you the apprentices hut, then we can get to work."

The suggestion made Moonpaw brighten-up, having always wanted to see inside of the apprentices hut. She nodded her head, and followed Ashpaw and Honeypaw as they lead her towards the structure.

* * *

The apprentices hut was smaller than the nursery, but larger than the medicine hut. Inside, she saw that it wasn't as roomy as the nursery, either. Some nests were pushed right next to each other, openly displaying the lack of space.

"I know, it's a bit crowded, huh?" Honeypaw said, "But on the upside, with all these bodies, it's always warm in leaf-bare. Plus, I think I over-heard Sunspot talking to Mudfeather about extending it."

Ashpaw sniffed, "You always happen to 'over-hear' conversations."

Honeypaw gave her a sly smile, "It's a gift~."

The other girl rolled her eyes before turning to Moonpaw, "Anyway, there's still just enough space for you and Jaypaw. Fortunately, it's right next to my nest!"

"You can start setting your nest later," Honeypaw said, "There's still some work to be done. Come on."

The tanned girl stepped out of the hut, motioning for the younger two to follow her. She led them to where three lovers were working. A large bowl, carved out of wood, was placed in the center of their circle. They were washing clothes, laying wet coverings on sun-warmed rocks to dry.

One of the women, Nighttail, looked up and addressed them, "Ah, it's about time you've brought her. Sit down and get to work."

Moonpaw looked at Ashpaw with uncertainty, earning herself a reassuring nod. She sat down, legs beneath her, and listened as Honeypaw began to explain what was to be done, and how.

"Make sure you don't scrub too hard if you're washing furs, it'll go patchy," Honeypaw instructed, "and beat it once you're done."

Instantly, Stormfeather swatted at her, "Wrong."

"Right, right, my mistake," Honeypaw said, rubbing her shoulder that had been struck, "Don't beat it, lay it on the rocks like cloths. But don't layer them."

She looked at Stormfeather, who nodded approvingly as she focused on her work. Honeypaw then nudged Moonpaw, "Okay, now try your hand at it."

Moonpaw swallowed and picked up a nearby fur. It was smaller than a breast-covering or leggings. She tilted her head, trying to figure out what it was. She'd certainly seen it before, but couldn't put a name to it.

"That's a male-covering," Ashpaw said, causing Honeypaw to snicker.

 _Male…covering?_ , Moonpaw pondered, looking at the fur. She then remembered instantly, and felt embarrassed for not having recognized it. She was a bit grossed-out, not really liking the fact that the fur in her hand had touch a man's…parts.

Ashpaw seemed to notice the girl's disgust, smiled as she said, "You'll get used to it, trust me."

Though still very upset by having to handle such a thing, Moonpaw wouldn't allow herself to bail-out. This was just one minor duty for a lover, a job that many women did without much complaint. Therefore, she knew that she had to suck it up and do the work.

She dunked the covering into the bowl, taking note that the water was lukewarm from sitting in the sun. Looking at the actions of her elders, Moonpaw proceeded to copy them as she observed their motions.

Scrub, squeeze, and dry. Scrub, squeeze, and dry. Scrub, squeeze, and dry….

By the time all the washing was finished, Moonpaw's hands were a bit red, and the flesh was wrinkled from the water. Her fingers ached, and she was relieved when Sheeplight announced that the work was done.

Honeypaw quickly jumped to her feet and stretched. An obnoxious sound came from her lips, causing Ashpaw to roll her eyes again. As the oldest teen finished her stretch, Stormfeather caught their attention with a snap of her fingers.

"The sun will set soon," she stated, "We'd best help the others with the cooking."

"Cooking?" Moonpaw questioned, wondering whether or not she'd be allowed to participate in that. As a kit, her mother never let her near the fire used for everyone's meals, stating that it was dangerous. Was she ready to learn how to make a meal?

Nighttail nodded, "You won't be dealing with the food yet. You'll have to settle for watching for about a moon."

Moonpaw felt a bit relieved, having been nervous about the prospect of handling fire. She was more than happy to just watch and learn. Honeypaw and Ashpaw both promised to teach her as much as possible, despite the fact that they were still apprentices themselves. Nevertheless, she smiled and asked them to teach her well.

* * *

That night, Moonpaw listened to her brother's recount of his day as they ate. She kept her eyes on Jaypaw as she bit into the leg of a pheasant. The rich taste was something she'd always loved. Her face filled with wonder as Jaypaw described the territory and his first assignment, which had been to gather bedding for the elders.

She had also gotten reacquainted with her denmates, whom she hadn't gotten to spend much time with since they were kits. Snowpaw was still as skittish as ever, despite Ravenpaw telling her that he was surprisingly strong. Bluepaw had placed his arm around her shoulders and told her that he'd protect her from Ravenpaw's "boring stories", laughing as said boy growled at him.

As for Stormpaw…well, he grew. A lot. The last time that Moonpaw had gotten a really good look at him, he was a scrawny kit and noticeably smaller than his brother. Now, his shoulders were broad and he was pretty well-muscled. One of the few things that remained the same was his stone-face.

Ravenpaw had stoically stated that it was perfectly fine to be intimidated by "this stone-beast". He slapped Bluepaw when the boy laughed out loud.

In short, the night was one that Moonpaw wanted to remember forever. Though she had had plenty of dinners with her clanmates, she hadn't been able to engage with the apprentices very easily. Not with Blackkit and Jaykit doing everything in their power to keep Moonpaw in their "nursery group".

This night was so light-hearted and warm, much like all the other nights, but somehow different. She relished it, and laughed whole-heartedly with her denmates.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Bam, chapter two. Just a head's-up: There's going to be a time-skip after this. Why? For reasons. *gets shot***

 **Anyway, I'm very grateful to everyone who has submitted an OC to this story, and I eagerly await your feedback.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	6. Three: Dependent

_**5 Years Later…**_

It was early leaf-fall, with leaves flaunting their new shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown. The air had yet to get chilly, but the trees gave enough warning of the miserable cold to come. Therefore, the soldiers and lovers of HeartClan knew that it'd be best to get a head-start on some very necessary work.

The men reinforced all of the huts; the nursery and elders hut, especially. The roofs had to be thickened in order to hold the inevitable snowfall, and any holes in the walls had to be patched-up. By the looks of it, it was hard labor.

As for the women, they set to creating warmer clothes and adding more materials to everyone's nests, weaving them to keep in heat. That, too, was hard work; but it had to be done. Everyone was well-aware that they needed these things to better the chance of surviving the cruelty of leaf-bare.

Moonpaw liked to think that she was decently experienced by now, being a mere year away from adulthood. She did her fair-share of work with little serious complaint, though her main job was weaving the nests. Clothes-making wasn't her best skill, so she set her sights on the nests. Weaving, thankfully, was something she'd mastered pretty well.

Almost every day, she'd thank the younger apprentices for bringing the materials, and sit down to weave. Over and under, over and under. Her fingers had been trained to do this automatically, adding soft-grass and moss to the nests; then proceeding to stick more moss and the shafts of feathers into most of the tiny gaps. Every leaf-fall was the same routine.

Except for this one.

There had recently been some…strange occurrences. Lovers were going missing whenever they ventured outside of the camp. Already, five women and girls were missing: Darkwhisper, Petalwing, Ravenpaw, Sweetheart, and Nightshimmer.

After Ravenpaw vanished, Stormstrike had announced that women were not to leave camp without an escort. Of course, they _had_ to go every-now-and-then; and, somehow, the females still managed to disappear as soon as their escort's attention went somewhere else.

The whole thing terrified Moonpaw, and she couldn't help but get jumpy whenever it was her turn to go gathering, which was thankfully rare.

"Hey, Moonpaw!"

The sound of her name being called dragged Moonpaw out of her zoned-out state. She looked up from her current sitting position to see Blackpaw standing beside her. The younger girl had a smile on her face and her head was tilted slightly. To be friendly, Moonpaw smiled in return and asked if something was wrong.

"No, I just wanted to give you some more feathers," Blackpaw said, "It's a good thing that Snowstep and Oakfoot managed to catch three pheasants the other day, huh?"

Moonpaw brightened and accepted the feathers, "Yeah, just in time, too. It seems that I was about to run-out."

That was true, seeing the current pile of feathers beside her had lessened greatly. She placed the new set at her side; already working out who'd they go to. Hollowheart had recently complained about a few barren patches, so she'd be sure to get to him.

"Hey, Moonpaw..?"

The older girl jumped, having thought that Blackpaw had left already. She turned towards her once more, "Yeah?"

"You look…really pretty," Blackpaw said, starting out quiet as if she was working up some courage, "Just working like that."

"Oh?" Moonpaw voiced. She had picked up a few of the feathers and begun adding them to Nightsong's nest, though making sure that Blackpaw knew she was listening.

"Yeah, I can't explain it, but you're beautiful right now," the younger stated with a dreamy tone. Moonpaw could feel the girl's eyes aimed on her, but wasn't too bothered by it. After all, Blackpaw tended to do it often. Sure, it weirded her out at first, but Moonpaw quickly grew used to it.

She continued to work as Blackpaw spoke some more, and was halfway done when the girl was shouted at by Stormfeather to "get back to work". Moonpaw waved as Blackpaw said goodbye and hurried away. She could hear the girl apologizing to Stormfeather, but didn't quite catch the words.

With the younger girl gone, Moonpaw was able to put her full focus into her work.

* * *

Moonpaw flexed her fingers once she had finished what she deemed as enough nests for the day. She was pleased with the results of her work, which came in the form of content clanmates. Her tail brushed against the backs of her calves as she stood, and she looked towards the sky to check the time. She quickly determined that it soon be dusk.

 _Might as well see if they need help with the cooking,_ she figured, and started towards the small clearing used specifically for such an activity.

As she'd guessed, Ashcloud called her over to help as soon as she came into view. Moonpaw set to advising Lavenderpaw and Darkpaw as they cooked a couple rabbits. Despite the fact that they'd been cooking for about a year now, Lavenderpaw tended to lean too close, and Darkpaw didn't always check the meat properly. They were learning, albeit gradually.

Nevertheless, it was going smoothly. The food was all finished just as the sun had left the sky completely. Just like every other night.

* * *

The night-meal was a relished one, since everyone knew that having a full belly would soon be a distant wish until new-leaf. But that night wasn't different for just that reason.

Moonpaw wasn't sure why, but her mother seemed to be avoiding both her and Jaypaw. They'd usually sit with her every five nights, and this was one of those times. But Hazelmist had pointedly sat between Foxheart and Honeyfur, not casting a single glance towards her children.

It was unsettling to the littermates, as they both sat together, wondering why their mother was acting so strangely. Hazelmist had always been a firm woman, yes, but she never ceased to show her love and affection towards them. Well, not until this moment. For whatever reason, she was acting as cold as Frostbite.

"Did we do something wrong?" Jaypaw asked with hurt very evident in his voice. He'd always been very connected to Hazelmist, whether he liked to show it or not.

"No. At least, I don't think so," Moonpaw replied, watching as her mother conversed with Foxheart. It was as if she didn't even realize that her kits were a mere four fox-lengths away; as if she didn't care that they weren't at her side right then. Honeyfur gave them a sympathetic look over her shoulder.

A sudden awful feeling rested in the pit of Moonpaw's stomach. A mixture of confusion, hurt, abandonment, and…fear. She couldn't quite understand it, but she didn't like it one bit.

"Is she rejecting us or something?" she asked quietly, having meant to say it in her head.

Jaypaw slowly shook his head, "No…she can't. Maybe she's not feeling up to it, is all."

 _Yes, that has to be it. She just needs some space,_ Moonpaw figured, trying to convince herself to believe it. In five more days, she and Jaypaw would be next to their mother again. Why did she feel so clingy all of the sudden?

"Let's just eat, okay?" she said, moving her portion of squirrel to her mouth and taking a bite. It was a bit on the cold side, but tasty nonetheless. She couldn't quite bring herself to relish it, though.

Jaypaw watched her for a moment before digging into his own food. They ate in silence, and surprisingly received no interruptions. It was likely that their clanmates noticed what was going on, and were therefore leaving them alone. Their minds were still trying to get a grip on the situation; an actual understanding. But they were left just as confused and lost as a kit that wondered out of camp.

Moonpaw gave another glance towards her mother once she finished, and was surprised to find her missing. She looked around, but couldn't find Hazelmist's distinctive white-spotted tail. This left her disappointed, and she turned back to Jaypaw with a frown.

Her brother quirked his eyebrow, to which she stated what she discovered. Jaypaw sighed, "Maybe she went to her nest early. She might just need some sleep."

He didn't really believe that; Moonpaw could tell by the way he'd looked around as subtly as possible. If this wasn't so strange, Moonpaw would have made-fun of herself for being so dependent on being around her mother, despite being nearly grown. Yes, it should have been something to take light-heartedly.

Yet, she found herself feeling utterly alone for whatever reason.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Short chapter is short. Poor Moonpaw and Jaypaw aren't ready to be independent just yet. ;-;**

 **For the OCs that were submit whilst I worked on this chapter, I kept them at their given ages. Everyone else has aged 5 years, though. Thanks for the OCs, btw!**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	7. Four: Gone

Come morning, Moonpaw was pleased to find that she felt much better. She rose in a good mood, and instantly remembered the night before. With decent rest, she felt silly for being so distressed about not being with her mother.

 _What am I? A kit?,_ she wondered, making fun of her own immaturity.

She looked around, noticing that she was alone in the hut, which was odd. Now, she wasn't the earliest riser out of all the apprentices, but she _always_ woke up before Smokepaw and Nettlepaw. Well, she supposed that that wasn't true anymore.

Confused, she stood and exited the apprentices hut. Almost instantly, she was met by an out-of-breath Lavenderpaw. The girl looked as if she just ran all the way from the moor.

"Is Stormfeather making everyone do laps again? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Moonpaw asked, observing Lavenderpaw as she caught her breath.

"No," Lavenderpaw panted, "I came to tell you that someone else has gone missing!"

Moonpaw's eyes widened, "Who?"

"Hazelmist!"

Upon hearing the news, Moonpaw knew that she had to confirm this for herself. She bolted passed Lavenderpaw, and eventually found her clanmates gathered together. Many were talking amongst themselves, and it was clear that a sixth disappearance was the last straw. Fear, concern, and anger were washing over HeartClan.

Moonpaw turned when she heard her name being called. Jaypaw raced up to her, and she instantly saw the worry in his eyes.

"Do you know..?" he asked quietly. Moonpaw nodded, though she wished that she didn't know. Seeing the look on her brother's face was confirmation enough. They both turned when Sandstorm called for everyone's attention.

The man looked down at his clanmates from the Rock Ledge, "As most of you may be aware, yet another one of our clanmates has vanished. And, just like with the others, no one knows how or why. Due to this, the other head-males and I have come to a decision."

Sandstorm stepped back, allowing Flamepelt to take his place. The younger head-male cleared his throat and announced, "From now, until the means of these disappearances are discovered, each woman shall have a guard. These guards must watch over their assigned woman, and accompany her outside of camp. They are not to take their eyes off of her when outside."

"If a guard is not doing his job correctly, he _will_ be punished," Whitestar continued.

Lastly, Stormstrike spoke, "If a woman leaves camp without her guard, she will be punished as well…if she does not vanish."

"The assignments will be announced tonight," Stormstrike stated, "As for now, go about your day as normally as possible."

Was that it? They weren't going to send out a patrol to at least _try_ and find Hazelmist? To Moonpaw, it was unacceptable. Completely and utterly unacceptable. She was prepared to speak out when another voice beat her to it.

"Don't us soldiers have enough work, with it being leaf-fall and all? Besides, what good will it do? The idea for escorts didn't work, obviously. So why would this stop the disappearances?"

Moonpaw whirled around, angered by the words. How could anyone think like that when their clanmates were vanishing so suddenly, unable to be found? But she froze, as she pin-pointed the speaker. It was Stoneheart, whose arms where folded and his face uncaring.

She was shocked. Yes, her father had never shown any true affection towards her, Jaypaw, or even Hazelmist; but how could he not care that his mate was gone? Just…how? She was suddenly speechless, having lost her words. She was surprised when she felt something briefly brush against her, and saw Jaypaw tackling their father only a heart-beat later.

Jaypaw was smaller than Stoneheart, yet he had managed to force the older man to the ground. He held down Stoneheart's shoulders, which was unnecessary since their father was frozen with shock. Jaypaw's tail lashed in a display of his outrage.

"What is _wrong_ with you?! Your _mate_ is missing, and you don't even care! I don't understand why she still loves you, but you don't deserve her! You're a black-hearted piece of fox-dung, you hear me?!" he growled, seeming to grow even more upset with each word. Fury turned into tears as Jaypaw began to cry.

Moonpaw watched with wide eyes, having never seen her brother so upset. Everyone else stood in shock until Mudfeather walked up and grabbed Jaypaw by his underarms, lifting the boy up and carrying him away. Jaypaw screamed as he was picked up, but went limp and continued to sob once Mudfeather began to walk. Moonpaw stepped back as they passed her, watching her brother.

It wasn't until they disappeared into the crowd that Moonpaw noticed that her cheeks were wet.

* * *

The rest of the day, Moonpaw worked as best as she could, as routine as ever. She weaved and tucked, thanking the younger apprentices for delivering needed materials. No one bothered her otherwise, even Blackpaw, which was likely thanks to Stormfeather's threats. Unfortunately, Moonpaw couldn't bring herself to fully appreciate it.

She assisted with the cooking, preparing a few couple ducks and watching over the younger girls as they worked. Upon Frostbite's order, she helped fetch the bowls for carrying the food out, and piled the meal onto the large wooden carriers.

Jaypaw wasn't present during the night-meal, though Moonpaw did catch sight of Darkpaw sneaking away with some food. Seeing that, Moonpaw was almost completely sure that the girl was taking food to Jaypaw. The thought brought a slight smile to her face, but doing so felt…selfish somehow, and her lips quickly lost their curve.

She ate quietly, despite her denmates chatting and occasionally laughing around her. While she chewed, she thought about her mother, wondering if she'd ever see her again. She didn't want the last memory of Hazelmist to be of the previous night. Thinking about it, the same awful feeling settled in her belly; but ten times worse.

She wanted her mother. She wanted to hug her and feel her chest rumble as a purr made itself known. She wanted to drink in the flowery scent that Hazelmist always carried with her. She wanted to see the undying love in her mother's hazel eyes; a love that only a mother can express.

A hand on her shoulder tore Moonpaw away from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Stormheart. The man had an expression similar to Stoneheart's, but his eyes were different. They weren't cold and callous, but displayed something reminiscent to reassurance. He didn't say anything, he just stared silently. Moonpaw stared right back.

After a good moment or two, Stormheart finally parted his lips and said, "It takes time, but you can cope."

He then took his hand away, proceeding to turn and walk towards his brother. Moonpaw watched him go, blinking in confusion. Was that the quiet man's attempt at comforting her? It certainly sounded like it. She continued to ponder it, wondering what Stormheart had meant exactly.

* * *

It wasn't until well after everyone else had gone to their nests that Jaypaw returned. Moonpaw heard the shifting in her brother's nest beside her, and she opened her eyes, leaving her half-sleep state. Jaypaw was still a bit red-faced, as if he'd been crying all day. Seeing this, Moonpaw sat up and scooted closer to him.

"Jaypaw..?" she called gently, reaching out to touch him. A sniffle came in response, and the boy kept his head down, refusing to look up at her.

Moonpaw was about to speak again, worried about her brother's current disposition. Without any warning whatsoever, Jaypaw sat up and embraced her. The boy clutched her tightly and began to weep into her shoulder. Tears began to soak her skin, and the sound of Jaypaw's sobs drowned out any other noise in the hut.

For a moment, Moonpaw wasn't sure as to what to do. She just sat there; listening to her littermate as he told her how he wanted Hazelmist back, and how he didn't want to be alone.

 _But you're not alone,_ she silently whispered, _I'm still here._

To prove this, she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around Jaypaw's slim figure. The very moment she did that, she realized that she was crying, too. Her own tears flowed uncontrollably, rolling down her cheeks and chilled as they met cool air. Soon, she shut her eyes tight and released sobs as she held her brother tight. Jaypaw responded, squeezing her until it was hard to breathe, but she didn't care.

Neither of them took notice as the other apprentices stirred in their own nests, too caught up in their shared sorrow. They missed their mother desperately, and displayed it openly. Together, they wept, sniffled, and spoke unintelligibly. Yes, they may have seemed like overreacting kits, but it didn't matter to them.

Somehow, they began to fall asleep. The siblings held each other close as they whimpered in their drowsiness, the last of their tears remaining as droplets of their eyelashes. Moonpaw felt something strange as her eyes slowly closed; she was purring.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Mother cats will sometimes purr to their kittens as a way to reassure and calm them. Earlier in the story, it was mentioned that Hazelmist purred to Moonpaw and Jaypaw when they were kits. As you can see, this passed on to Moonpaw.**

 **The assigned guards will show up on the allegiances, that way it's easier to remember.**

 **I still need a few more OCs, and I thank everyone who has submitted them to me. :)**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	8. Five: Gathering

_Moonpaw walked as silently as possible though the forest, heading towards the moor. She wasn't sure as to why she felt the need to be so quiet, but she had the ever-growing sense that there were eyes on her. Her eyes kept darting between the forest ahead of her and the ground she walked on. Whenever a wrinkled, dead leaf or a peeking twig came into sight, she made sure to avoid stepping on it._

 _As she continued, the eerie feeling of being watched grew stronger, and her instincts told her to hurry and run. But she refused to show her worsening fear, continuing at the same careful pace. Then she heard a "_ crunch" _behind her, and a whispered curse following it. Someone was definitely following her, and she bolted right then._

 _By the sound of it, whoever had been following her was now giving chase. Her terror grew when she realized that there were more than one, as her pursuers called out to one another._

" _Catch her," one said, "Don't let her escape!"_

" _What do you think I'm doing?!" the other countered._

 _Moonpaw's heart raced with panic as she heard the sound of panting not too far behind her. The moor was coming into sight, and she knew that she'd be able to run much easier without as many obstacles out there. She sped up, desperate to reach the open land. In response, the men behind her quickened their pace as well._

 _Her mind raced; and she thought of what would happen if she were caught. Was she going to be killed? What would her clanmates do once they realized that she had gone missing like the others? How would her kits manage without their mother in their lives anymore?_

 _Wait, what kits?_

 _As she tried to figure out why she had thought of kits, she slowed down just enough for one of her pursuers to grab her arm. Panic spread through her once again, she fought to get free. But he wrapped an arm around her waist as his partner caught up._

" _You almost got away, pretty thing," the second man said, "almost."_

 _Moonpaw looked up at him, and gasped when she recognized his facial structure under the mud that disguised him, "You…but why?"_

" _I'd love to explain, but there's no time for questions," the man stated. He then nodded to his accomplice, "Let's get going."_

 _No matter how much she struggled, Moonpaw still found herself being thrown over a broad shoulder. She screamed as she was carried away, tears blurring her vision and praying to StarClan above that someone would save her; but there was no answer to her pleas. Instead, she received a punch to the head, and found herself succumbing to darkness._

* * *

Moonpaw didn't quite know what to make of that nightmare. She had woken up to being shaken, and opened her eyes to see Nettlepaw. The boy told her she'd been screaming in her sleep, and that Needlepaw was about to kick her if she didn't stop. Needless to say, she had thanked the boy for saving her from his brother's strong legs, assuring him that she was fine.

Before eating her morning-meal, Moonpaw found herself looking for her mother. Of course, the previous day came back to her and she remembered that Hazelmist was gone. Despite this, she strangely did not feel any more upset than she had felt yesterday. In fact, she found herself feeling somehow better, as if assured that her mother was safe.

While she did feel much better, the strange dream had caught her off guard. She'd never had that kind of experience, and wondered how such a thing could have snuck into her mind. When she spoke to Ashcloud about it, the woman told her that it may have been caused by stress. Honeyfur, for once, agreed.

Otherwise, Moonpaw was able to get along easier, having been able to calm her mind with sleep. That may have been why she was chosen to go to the Gathering. Jaypaw was still a bit depressed, which was why he was not able to join as well. Moonpaw promised to come back and tell him about what happened, and the boy just nodded as he continued fixing a hole in the warriors hut.

It felt strange to be so much calmer when, just last night, Moonpaw had been bawling her eyes out in Jaypaw's arms. For whatever reason, she was relaxed while knowing that her mother was who-knows-where. Despite the oddness of it, Moonpaw was grateful.

She went about her duties as normally as possible, weaving and finishing a few nests before she had to assist with the night-meal. As with every Gathering night, the last meal of the day had to be finished early, so that the nekos chosen to go were able to get bit of food in their bellies before leaving.

With a quick goodbye to Jaypaw, smiling as Darkpaw promised to keep him company in her absence. She followed the others out of camp, and it was only then that her assigned guard approached her.

Stormheart walked beside her along the way, and Moonpaw wondered why he had chosen to keep his distance up until then. The man hadn't come too close all day long, even when she ventured outside briefly to help gather some apples. Sure, she'd felt his gaze on her every-now-and-then, but that was it.

They were silent for a good duration of the walk, making Moonpaw feel more and more awkward. Back when they were kits, she would have completed an entire conversation with him, despite the boy only saying a few words. Now, she wasn't sure what to do, glancing at him occasionally. Stormheart's eyes remained on those in front of them, as if he didn't realize that she was even there.

As they neared the island, Moonpaw nearly jumped in surprise when Stormheart finally spoke to her.

"You seem well," he said, out of the blue. When Moonpaw looked up, she saw that he had his amber eyes on her. Ravenflight hadn't been kidding when he called his brother intimidating.

"Um, yeah," Moonpaw confirmed, "I guess sleep helped."

"Ah."

Moonpaw waited for him to say more, but nothing else ever came from his lips. She thought of this as odd, but figured that it was the way he was. Not everyone was perfect; that's what Hazelmist had always said. Immediately after that thought, Moonpaw forced herself to stop thinking about her mother, knowing that it would only bring on feelings of loneliness and grief.

Unsurprisingly, LoveClan was already on the island, waiting for HeartClan like every other time. As soon as they stepped foot into view, Moonpaw noticed Stormheart moving away from her. She watched him until; once again, her guard vanished amongst surrounding cats, leaving her with the feeling of being watched. Momentarily, she wondered if he would be like that if he'd been assigned to a different girl; but quickly assumed that he would be the same no matter what.

She attempted to forget about Stormheart's eyes on her, opting to find a LoveClanner that she was familiar with. Looking around, she hoped to find Silverdapple, Sunpaw, or even Frostleaf; but found none of them. That was certainly disappointing, since they were her only real friends in the water-loving clan. As she thought this, a hand met her shoulder.

Surprised, Moonpaw turned and found herself looking at a soldier, obviously not from her clan. He smiled in a way that seemed almost _too_ friendly, and was undoubtedly a seasoned male, as she could tell that he had to be around ten years older than her.

"Hi there, pretty thing, you seem kinda lost," he observed, looking down at her with sharp, green eyes. The man towered above her, but wasn't as tall as Stormheart. Having been taught make a good impression, Moonpaw tried to be polite and smiled back nervously.

"I guess you can say that," she said, feeling quite uncomfortable, "I was just looking for some friends, but they aren't here this time."

"That so? Oh, I think I've seen you before," the soldier said as if trying to remember something, "Yes, you're a friend of Sunpaw, right?"

Moonpaw nodded, and the man continued with, "Well you're right that he isn't here. But, if you want, I can keep you company."

"N-no, I'm sure I can manage on my own for one Gathering," the apprentice replied. Her heart was beginning to pound; her instincts telling her that she needed to get back to her own clanmates. The feeling worsened when the soldier squeezed her shoulder a bit.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Are you sure?"

The sensation of his hot breath against her ear made her feel sick. Her ear quickly flicked away, irritated as its fur was disturbed. Despite her obvious discomfort, the soldier did not back-off. Instead, he leaned closer, squeezing her shoulder to the point of being painful. Moonpaw clenched her eyes shut, wondering why Stormheart wasn't helping her when she knew that he _had_ to be watching. Why wasn't _anyone_ helping her?

"Be seated!"

Just like that, her shoulder was released as Mudtooth's command rang out over the crowd. The soldier had put his need to obey the head-male over his perverse desires; and Moonpaw quickly took advantage of that as she bolted towards a group of her clanmates and sat with them.

Her heart was still racing, but she willed herself to calm down as she looked up at the enormous oak tree. The head-males were gathered there, with HeartClan on one side and LoveClan on the other. Once everything was quiet, Whitestar straightened and began to speak.

"HeartClan bears both good and bad news," he said, "While we are doing well with preparations for leaf-bare, there have been strange disappearances taking place. We're not sure as to who or what is taking them, but so far, six females had vanished mysteriously. On behalf of HeartClan, I ask that everyone keep an eye out for any of our missing lovers: Darkwhisper, Petalwing, Ravenpaw, Sweetheart, Nightshimmer, and Hazelmist."

Knowing that that last part was coming up, Moonpaw had moved her hands to cover her ears. Still, she faintly heard her mother's name, and felt her emotions immediately bubble up and – no. She wasn't going to cry like she had last night. When she had awoken that morning, she had realized that crying did nothing. Her mother wasn't back in the safety of camp, her father didn't care any more than he had when the disappearance was announced, and her brother wasn't out of his depression.

Therefore, she took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down. If Stoneheart wasn't going to be any help, then Moonpaw had to be strong for both her and Jaypaw. She just _had_ to.

Now composed, she uncovered her ears and sat up to listen as Scorchfire stepped forward to give LoveClan's report.

"Though it has been slow, LoveClan is recovering from the greencough epidemic that took so many souls fifteen years ago," he said loud and clear, "Our numbers are steadily rising, and we hope for more litters come next green-leaf. In spite of our lack of members; I can promise you all that we are strong…and we will soon be _full_ of new nekos."

Moonpaw saw Ashcloud roll her eyes, which was very reasonable. Scorchfire always turned reports into some type of bragging. Yet, something about his wording was…strange; as if he wasn't just talking about kits. But then, what else he be talking about? With that, Moonpaw shook off the odd feeling she'd gotten, figuring that she was still a bit shaken from encountering the LoveClan soldier.

When it came time for goodbyes, Moonpaw chose to stay among those familiar to her, and was approached by Blackpaw.

"Hey, you looked upset when Whitestar mentioned Hazelmist," the younger girl commented, "Are you okay?"

Moonpaw, touched that the other girl had cared enough to ask, nodded, "I am now, thanks."

"You know, I was pretty sad when Nightshimmer went missing. It took almost five days start feeling better," Blackpaw said, her pale-green eyes never leaving Moonpaw's, "So it's alright if it takes a while for you, too. You don't have to hide it because you're older, you know."

Moonpaw blinked at her, having been rendered speechless. Seeing this, Blackpaw smiled and took her hand, "Come on, it's time to go back."

The younger apprentice led her to where the others had gathered, and the two proceeded to walk together. Moonpaw had been caught off guard by the sympathy that Blackpaw had displayed; and felt immensely selfish for not even considering that anyone could understand her pain. Blackpaw, as well as the girl's sisters, had lost their mother as well. When Nightshimmer had disappeared, all of the girls had had less of a physical reaction, but it was obvious that they'd been hurting. At the time, Moonpaw had left them alone to grieve, unsure of what to do.

She felt grateful, just like when Stormheart had offered his own version of (what she thinks was) comfort. A small smile crept up on her face, and it stayed there throughout the walk home.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: There you go, a long chapter. I wanted to not only give Moonpaw the push towards finding her mother, but to show that she is stronger than Jaypaw emotionally. It's a part of her personality and maturity that I felt the need to express. After all, they do say that girls mature faster than boys. ^ ^**

 **The soldier that was speaking to Moonpaw was Wolfthorn. Just wanted to clear that up.**

 **Though I'm pretty sure I gave some strong enough hints, where do you think all the females have gone?**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	9. Six: Kittypet

Days passed gradually, each one growing colder as leaf-bare crept closer. As a result, Moonpaw tried her best to focus of the last of her work on the nests, weaving and tucking until her fingers ached. She, along with the other women, was only rushed further when everyone realized that this year's leaf-bare was coming earlier than normal.

Moonpaw's ability to concentrate was occasionally challenged as she continued to have strange dreams; all of them either being of getting kidnapped or traveling through an unknown location. These dreams both confused and intrigued her, having never ceased since that first nightmare. Interestingly enough, the first thing she thought of after waking up…was her mother. She knew that these two phenomena were connected, but couldn't see how they'd help her in any way. As of now, she had a job to do, and that was that.

In the days that passed since the Gathering, a few things had changed. Skywhisper had successfully given birth to a single kit that she and Silverclaw decided to name Featherkit. The newborn was claimed by Raincloud as his future apprentice, as he stated that she was chosen by StarClan for the path of a medicine holder.

Jaypaw found his own way of moving passed the disappearance of Hazelmist. He threw himself into his training, working as hard as possible for as long as possible. Blackflash seemed to approve of his apprentice's sudden dedication, though Moonpaw had once heard him say that Jaypaw tended to push himself too far sometimes. Looking at her brother, Moonpaw could see that he was indeed exhausted at the end of every day, but she was pleased that he was definitely out of his depression, since Darkpaw regularly told her about how well the boy was getting along every day.

Stormheart had slowly ceased watching her from afar, which may have been better compared to now. The man was basically breathing down her neck whenever he had free-time. It was nice that that was the way he chose to spend such rare moments, since most other guards did pretty much whatever they wanted when given free-time; but it made her feel awkward at times. She couldn't even count the amount of times she'd had to re-do a weave due to the pressure that she felt under his gaze. She wasn't exactly sure as to why, but her hands always trembled, and her heart always raced when Stormheart watched her work.

Honeyfur had teasingly mentioned that Stormheart liked her, causing Moonpaw's face to redden a bit. Yes, she and Stormheart had become much more comfortable around each other, but to say that he liked her..? Oddly enough, Moonpaw didn't mind entertaining the thought, which only made her cheeks become warmer and she quickly responded by asking about the girl's crush on Lavenderpaw.

Immediately, Ashcloud had fallen into a fit of laughter. It was interesting to see Honeyfur blush for once, but the woman clearly didn't like it, and quickly targeted the fact that Ashcloud and Snowstep were spending an "awful lot of time together lately". Moonpaw was wise enough to sneak away before the two started getting carried away with their quips and comments.

With all of this going on, Moonpaw almost felt ready to move on and forget about her missing mother. The thought of doing so made her feel awful, but she knew that there was no stopping it at that point. That, of course, wasn't to be.

* * *

On a particularly rainy morning, Moonpaw was disrupted from her work by the sound of shouts and an unfamiliar voice. She looked up from where she'd been putting the finishing touches on Russethawk's nest, and Stormheart quickly mimicked the action.

"What do you think is going on?" Moonpaw asked, watching as others jumped from their work-spots and hurried toward the commotion. Stormheart didn't answer for a moment, but eventually opened his mouth and said: "Stay."

"Huh?"

Stormheart placed a hand on her shoulder as if to keep her from getting up, "It might be trouble."

"Stormheart, I'm nearly grown," Moonpaw said, pushing his hand away gently, "I'm sure it's fine. Besides, we're in camp, so it should be safe enough."

When she shifted to get to her feet, Stormheart put his hand back on her shoulder and stopped her. Looking up at him with a mixture of bewilderment and annoyance, she tried again, only to get the same result.

"Stay," Stormheart repeated, a bit more firmly this time, "Please."

When Moonpaw made no third attempt to stand, the guard stood and began following the others, looking back at Moonpaw briefly as if to confirm that she was still sitting, and then continued on. As she sat in place, Moonpaw wondered whether or not she should just get up anyway, and then decided that Stormheart wouldn't _do_ anything to her if she did disobey. If the man was willing to take physical action, he would have forced her into staying put in the first place. With that in mind, she got to her feet and headed in the direction that everyone had gone in.

A gasp escaped Moonpaw's lips as she saw a strange girl in the main clearing. Her arms were tied behind her back, and she was forced onto her knees. The girl's tail was bristling with fear, her ears pinned to her head as she looked around with wide, scared eyes.

"What's this?" Whitestar asked, walking forward to inspect the girl.

Redstorm responded first, "A kittypet that was discovered hiding in a bush. She seemed suspicious, and tried to run when we questioned her."

"So you brought her here?" the head-male questioned, his eyes flicking to the soldier briefly.

"She mentioned knowing about 'kidnappings', so we asked her to come with us," Redstorm replied, his voice tightened when he said "kidnappings", obviously thinking of his sister, Petalwing.

Whitestar paused for a moment, seeming particularly interested in the girl's arms, "And the restraints?"

"She struggled, and managed to give Mudfeather a good scratch while she was at it."

The head-male _hmm_ -ed in response, finishing his inspection. He stood up straight and looked towards his comrades. The four shared a silent conversation between their gazes, and Whitestar eventually sighed.

"Untie her and take her to the head hut," he ordered. He was immediately obeyed as Silverclaw and Berrypatch hurried to do so.

Moonpaw watched as the restraints became limp and fell from the girl's arms. There were already angry-red marks being sported on her olive flesh. She kept her eyes on the girl until she disappeared into the head hut, preceding the four leaders.

Instantly, the Clan broke out in whispers, coming up with theories and questions about the girl. Some of them shamed her obvious status, as proven by the collar. Moonpaw had her own questions that swirled around in her head.

 _Does she really know something? Was Hazelmist actually kidnapped? Where is she then?_

* * *

The night-meal had a different air that night. Moonpaw could tell that almost everyone was suspicious of the kittypet that sat between Foxheart and Sunspot, but she felt nothing but curiosity towards the girl. It didn't register that she might have been scaring the girl as she stared at her, eating slowly while watching the kittypet intently. She only stopped when Stormheart nudged her and whispered, "You're scary."

With slightly reddened cheeks, Moonpaw broke away her stare and looked down at her meal. She was pretty much done with the half of a rabbit, despite it having a good amount of meat left. Her thoughts were too focused on the possibility of her mother being found; that is, if this kittypet knew where she was. To think Moonpaw had been prepared to abandon Hazelmist so easily!

According to Sandstorm, they were going to keep the kittypet in camp until they were sure that she was truthful, and had the information that she claimed to have. That would give Moonpaw enough time to ask the girl her own questions, and perhaps even be able to find her mother! But the problem was whether she'd be allowed to speak to the kittypet alone or not; if the former was the case, then she had to figure out some way to talk to her and then—

"You're thinking hard," Stormheart commented as he observed her facial expressions, "Don't strain yourself."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Moonpaw swatted him on one of his biceps, "I can think as much as I want."

"You'll get a headache," Stormheart insisted, seeming to ignore the light slap to his arm. He appeared to have finished eating, and was likely only staying in his place because Moonpaw was still there. Not feeling much of an appetite, Moonpaw offered him the remains of her rabbit.

"Here, I'm not that hungry today," she said, holding out the slightly-cold meat.

Stormheart eyed it for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to take it or convince her to eat it, but he eventually decided to accept the offer. He took the food from her hands, thanking her as he did so, and proceeded to eat the left-overs.

As he did this, Moonpaw continued to think about the possibility of seeing her mother again; that chance rested on the shoulders of the kittypet, and whether she knew where Hazelmist was or not.

 _I have to know,_ she declared.

"What?" Stormheart asked, appearing confused. Moonpaw snapped her mouth shut, realizing that she had said that out-loud.

She waved her hand in a dismissive manner, "Nothing, I was just thinking again."

For a moment, it looked as if Stormheart was about to question her further, staring at her for a few heart-beats before turning back to eat. It was obvious that he knew there was more to her words, but the man had consciously decided to leave the topic alone for the time-being. Instead, he said something unrelated instead.

"Don't think so much," he uttered, "You'll get hurt."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Ughhh, I feel like this chapter was terrible. Forgive me, reader-chan!**

 **There are only a few more chapters left after this, and then I'll get started on the sequel. The second part of this story will take place 15 years later, and will be called "** _ **Path"**_ **. Just a heads-up. ;)**

 **I've also decided to put little trivia/fun-fact thingies at the end of each chapter; just to make it a bit more fun. So here's the first one:**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Featherkit is named after** _ **Featherpool**_ **, a FanFiction user. Originally, she was going to be named Applekit.**


	10. Something For You Guys

**Hey guys, I've decided to make images of some of the characters; so if you want to see them, just remove the spaces:**

 **Moonpaw:** **postimg image / lzq0unlff /**

 **Stormheart and Jaypaw :** **postimg image / kje14k283 /**

 **Ravenflight, Honeyfur, Ashcloud, and Snowstep :** **postimg image / ac3uy6snz /**

 **Berrypatch and Blair :** **postimg image / 3qwn2rz49 /**

 **Cobrastrike and Wasptail :** **postimg image / ciu6bzo05 /**

 **Mottlefur and Sheeplight : ****postimg image / huumpmdon /**

 **Others may be posted later, but I wanted you guys to look at these while I work on the next chapter.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**

 **UPDATE: So apparently, FF is being a jerk again and the links do not work. Just go to my profile, and you can find the link to the pictures there, m'kay?**


	11. Seven: Venture

"I'm sorry, but that can't be permitted."

Moonpaw was admittedly disappointed by this, especially since she'd figured that Flamepelt would be the most-likely to agree and let her speak to the kittypet, Violet, in private. After all, the head-male was the most open out of the four. She may have been wrong to assume, but the fact that Flamepelt was shaking his head at her in response was still upsetting.

"I know that you're eager to find out what she knows," Flamepelt continued, likely thinking about the girl's mother, "But the others and I have decided that everyone will learn at the same time. It's only fair to the rest, understand?"

As the man expected her to do, Moonpaw nodded, her eyes on the ground. Flamepelt's seriousness faded away and he smiled, patting her head before walking away. Moonpaw watched him go, and didn't react when Stormheart walked up behind her. The man nudged her gently, and she looked up at him.

Seeing his quirked eyebrow, she said, "I guess I just got my hopes up, huh?"

Stormheart blinked, "Suppose so."

Despite the fact that Moonpaw hadn't told him what she was going to ask the head-male, the man hadn't stood too far away when the two spoke, and he was praised for having excellent hearing. It could be considered eavesdropping, but Moonpaw doubted that Stormheart had really wanted to hear their conversation. It was more likely that he didn't want Flamepelt to think that he wasn't doing his duty correctly, letting Moonpaw be by herself for and all. That's how he was, she figured.

As for the moment, she was lost as to what to do next. For all she knew, the head-males could decide to take anywhere from a day to a week before they gave the clan any word. The thought troubled her, as it came with a horrible feeling of dread. Apparently, Stormheart noticed that she was upset, since the man sighed and nudged her again.

"Stop thinking, get to your nest," he said, "Rest will help."

"Quit saying that," Moonpaw snapped, though there was no true irritability behind it. It seemed that Stormheart could tell that she wasn't really angry, and he nudged her for the third time, managing to push her a couple steps towards the apprentices hut.

"Get to your nest," he repeated, "Morning will be easier."

The careful pushes continued until Moonpaw raised her hands in defeat, "Alright, Stormheart, I'm going."

To convince him, she began walking towards the hut. Her mind was still buzzing as she wondered about what she could possibly do. There was the thought of simply speaking to Violet without permission, but that was unlikely. The kittypet was under guard out of suspicion, and Moonpaw was sure that Blackflash wouldn't let her get passed him. Troubled, she continued to think about any possible action to take as she settled into her nest.

About an hour later, she found herself cursing Stormheart as her head began to hurt from these thoughts.

* * *

The next day, she stared in shock as Stormstrike made an announcement. At the foot of the Rockledge, Violet was shifting her feet nervously, as if she expected the nekos around her to attack at any moment. The girl seemed to calm down when Sunspot placed his hand on her shoulder in a soothing action.

"This kittypet has no valuable information for us," the head-male proclaimed, "Therefore, she is to be escorted from the territory. Blackflash, Sunspot, take her home. I'm sure that her Notails are missing her."

The two men nodded, and ushered Violet towards the exit. Moonpaw blinked, trying to absorb what Stormstrike had said, watching as the kittypet was lead outside of camp. There was something about the way the girl had acted that gave Moonpaw the strong feeling that something was up. A voice in her head screaming at her to follow, and it was all she could do not to bolt out of camp as she saw Violet leave.

"Are you okay?" Honeyfur asked from beside her, head tilted slightly in concern.

"Yeah," Moonpaw lied, "It's just…"

The older woman gave a look that asked her to continue, a mixture of curiosity and care was the expression that adorned her face. Moonpaw took one glance at it and she shook her head, "Nothing."

Honeyfur chuckled, "Still curious about that Notail-lover? Well, I'm sure a bit of work can help that. I have plenty to share, ya know!"

"Don't try to pass your job onto me," Moonpaw responded, "But I guess you're right."

"Of course I am, now come on!" Honeyfur said, grabbing the apprentice's arm and beginning to lead her away. But Moonpaw tugged herself away from the woman, earning a look of confusion.

"I need to take care of something first, but I'll catch up," she explained. Thankfully, Honeyfur didn't question her, and simply shrugged, told her not to take too long, and hurried towards Ashcloud. Moonpaw couldn't help but smile when she saw the expression on the black-haired girl's face when she spotted Honeyfur rushing with the obvious intention of embracing her.

"No, stop, you-!"

Moonpaw turned away before the two collided, and brought her gaze back to the camp exit. The three nekos were long-gone, leaving Moonpaw to wonder whether Violet really had something worth listening to. Perhaps whatever she knew wasn't helpful in the minds of the head-males, but was still valuable in a way. There was the strong feeling that whatever the girl had to say…could have helped in finding her mother. Normally, Moonpaw wasn't the type to just _jump_ on a gut-feeling, but she found herself running outside of camp before she even knew it.

If anyone noticed, it would seem as if she was simply rushing to gather some needed supplies, which was a good thing for her. She didn't think of how Stormheart might react to her leaving camp without him, and at the moment she didn't care. She followed the scents of Sunspot and Blackflash, allowing the fresh trail to guide her through the forest, until she eventually spotted them heading out onto the moor.

Before she could stop herself, Moonpaw called out, "Wait!"

Instantly, the two men whirled around, each with a different expression; Sunspot seemed surprised while Blackflash looked as if he thought she were the enemy. The latter quickly corrected his tense stance once he realized who had spoken, and Moonpaw quickly caught up to them.

"Moonpaw, what are you doing out here? Where's Stormheart?" Blackflash asked, looking over the girl's shoulder, likely trying to spot the tall man somewhere behind her.

"Not important," Moonpaw replied, "I just really need to speak with Violet."

Hearing her name, the kittypet shrunk back nervously, partially hiding behind Sunspot. The blonde man glanced at the collared girl, and then looked back at Moonpaw, "I'm afraid that can't be done. We were given orders to take her home, and it wouldn't be good to drag out the journey."

"Yes, and now one of us will have to escort you back to camp," Blackflash said, "I'm sure that the head-males won't be too pleased to hear that you ran off without your guard."

Moonpaw folded her arms and held her ground, feeling an uncharacteristic amount of courage and rebellion, something she had never experienced before. It felt right, so she parted her lips and repeated, "I really need to speak with Violet."

Seeing that the men had not changed their minds, she added, "Please…just for a few minutes. Then I'll go back, I promise."

Sunspot seemed to consider her words for a moment, looking Moonpaw over for a couple heartbeats. The seriousness on his face disappeared with a slight smile, "You're not going to listen to us, aren't you?"

Moonpaw shook her head, though still worried that they might force her back to camp anyways, and she may not get such a chance ever again. Nevertheless, she remained stubborn.

"Alright," Sunspot finally said, "Just a few minutes. After that, Blackflash will take you to camp."

The other man seemed surprised and gave Sunspot a question look, but he then sighed and turned back to Moonpaw, "Fine. But we're not leaving you two alone."

Before the girl could protest, he continued by saying that it was still dangerous and that they'd stand a good distance away and try to ignore the conversation. But they'd still be watching the two girls. The statement was enough to satisfy Moonpaw, and she nodded in agreement.

Sunspot placed his hand on Violet's shoulder before walking away with Blackflash, "Tell her what's asked."

Once the two men were a reasonable distance away, Moonpaw began to ask the questions she had been dying to relieve since the night before. Starting with what the men had meant when they talked about "kidnappings".

Violet stayed silent for a moment, just as she had during the duration of her time at camp. Briefly, Moonpaw wondered if the girl was actually mute, but she eventually took a breath and replied to her question.

"I overheard one of my neighbors, Ciel, talking about it. He said that he wasn't surprised that 'the savage ones are stealing women from each other'. I guess I got curious, and I went into the pines. Then I saw…"

The kittypet trailed off, seeming to lose her confidence for a couple heart-beats, but gained it back and continued, "I saw a man carrying a woman over his shoulder. She was unconscious for sure, so I figured that she was kidnapped. I just didn't know from where at the time."

Moonpaw felt tempted to ask for the woman's description, which quickly left her mind as she realized that she wouldn't be able to handle it if it turned out to be her mother. So instead she asked, "How did you figure out that she was from our clan?"

"Well, I went back home and talked about it with my friend, Tilly, and she knows more about you nekos than some others do. She told me that there are two groups of wild cats, and that the woman had to be from _this_ territory, since the man was obviously from the pines." Violet recalled.

"And you told the head-males this?"

"Yes, but they told me that it was nonsense; that 'LoveClan has no reason to take females from them'."

Moonpaw went quiet, thinking the whole thing over. If the head-males didn't believe the kittypet, it made sense that they would disclose 'non-essential' information to the clan. But if LoveClan really was behind the disappearances, what could be done about it? Why would they even do such a thing? She looked back up at Violet, ready to ask some more questions when Blackflash and Sunspot reappeared.

"Time's up," the former stated.

Sunspot came to stand at the collared girl's side, "I hope you got whatever you needed, since Violet really has to get to her Notails now; and you need to get back to camp."

Though a bit disappointed, Moonpaw nodded, deciding that the information that she had would be enough for the time being, "Yes, thank you."

The man cast another slight smile, and turned to continue leading Violet to the Notail Place. Moonpaw got to watch them go briefly before Blackflash grabbed her attention with a cough and told her to start walking. He mentioned that both she and Stormheart were going to be in trouble with the head-males, and went on blabbering about how young nekos do this-and-that. Moonpaw, however, wasn't entirely focused on his words, her mind still reeling over what she had learned so far.

 _One step closer_ , she supposed.

* * *

After the head-males found out about Moonpaw's 'little stunt', as they called it, both she and Stormheart were punished. Moonpaw was to assist the kit-bearers with their children, alongside her regular duties, until she received her full-name in about a moon. As for Stormheart, the man was ordered to finish a set-amount of repairs each day for two weeks. The number seemed awfully high, joined by the soldier's other daily duties; but he simply bowed his head and accepted the punishment.

Surprisingly, Stormheart hadn't showed a single hint of anger towards Moonpaw, who had expected him to be at least a little upset. Yet the man seemed to be in a completely normal mood as he tended to his own work and watched her simultaneously. It seemed that Ravenflight noticed this, since the man piped up and spoke to Moonpaw.

"He's going to be practically on top of you now, you know that? He thinks it's _his_ fault that _you_ got outside," the stoic man had said.

Though she knew that it wasn't Ravenflight's intention, Moonpaw felt guilty upon hearing those words. She didn't want Stormheart thinking that he was to blame for something she had done, which seemed more and more reckless as she thought about it. Therefore, she headed straight over to the soldier once she had managed to finish her work for the day.

"Ah…um, Stormheart," Moonpaw called awkwardly, seeing that her guard was still repairing a hole in the medicine hut with Mottlefur's help. The man didn't turn completely to her, due to his hands being busy, but he _did_ glance at her and grunted in acknowledgement.

"I don't want you thinking that what happened today was your fault," Moonpaw said, "Leaving camp was my decision, and I'll admit that it was a pretty mouse-brained one. I realize that I could've asked you to come along, too; and for that I'm sorry."

Stormheart was silent, aside from the sounds of him adding layers of weavings to the hole. Beside him, Mottlefur seemed to ignore Moonpaw completely, respecting that the situation didn't involve him. For a few heartbeats, Moonpaw waited for any kind of response from Stormheart; and eventually, he did turn to her.

"I wasn't watching, and you got out. If I had seen, I would have followed. But that didn't happen. You could have vanished, and it'd be my fault," he said. Despite his mouth being in the same straight line as always, Moonpaw caught a glimmer in his eyes that displayed just how upset he was by the thought. Instantly, the girl's guilt increased.

"No, Stormheart, it would have been mine. You know that, and so do I," she insisted, hoping to make her point clear.

She sucked in a breath when the man stood without warning, towering over her and placing his hands on her shoulders. It was the first time that he had made such contact, and Moonpaw realized just how much larger he was compared to her, as her small shoulders her completely covered by his hands. She stared up at him with wide eyes, extremely unsure of what was happening.

"If you became lost, I would surely die," Stormheart said quietly, almost making it a whisper. He then squeezed her shoulders gently, and returned to his work. Beside him, Mottlefur acted as if he hadn't just seen the act, though he did give the younger man a slight nudge.

Moonpaw remained dumbfounded, and eventually found the strength in her wobbly legs to walk away, only to be pestered by Honeyfur and Ashcloud.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Hey guys, I am so sorry that this chapter took longer to post than the others. I lost the inspiration to write for a little bit, but I am back in action! I hope that this wasn't cheesy or anything, and that you guys thoroughly enjoyed the chapter. There are currently only about 3-4 chapters left before the epilogue, and then we move on to the sequel!**

 **I have put up a new poll on my profile, asking you guys who your favorite character is. If you end up marking "other", feel free to either tell me who it is in the reviews or by PM. With that said, here is today's fun fact:**

 **Fun Fact: HeartClan was originally named SmutClan, back when author-san planned on making the story more sex-based. It was also meant to be more violent than LoveClan, but the ideas obviously changed during planning.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	12. Eight: Plan

Three days after speaking with Violet, Moonpaw experienced yet another unusual dream. She had found herself in a strange place—a territory that she had seen on previous nights, yet it was still so unfamiliar to her. Pines had casted endless shadows over her body, and the ground was moist and squishy beneath her. Moonpaw hadn't been able to lift a single finger, or even twitch her ears. She had lain completely paralyzed on the wet ground, terrified and alone, for what felt like hours.

A voice that she vaguely recognized whispered in her ear, though she felt no presence beside her. The words were unintelligible, and she could tell that whatever phrases that were entering her ears were being repeated over-and-over. Gradually, the words became clearer, and she strained to understand them.

"… _what must…us…do it."_

Jolting awake, she found herself in the safety of her nest, surrounded by her denmates. A slight panic rose in her belly for the briefest moment as she realized that Jaypaw wasn't beside her, but she saw with a turn of her head that he was curled up beside Darkpaw. The young girl had one arm thrown over Jaypaw, as if protecting him. Moonpaw stared as her heart soothed its rapid pounding, wondering why her brother had moved in the middle of the night. She then remembered what Ashcloud had recently stated.

" _Those two are getting close, huh?"_

Observing them, Moonpaw figured that her friend was right. In truth, she was grateful towards the younger apprentice. Being preoccupied with the hope of finding her mother, Moonpaw hadn't paid much attention towards her littermate in the past few days, and he obviously benefited from the comfort and encouragement that Darkpaw provided.

While Moonpaw would like nothing more than to spend time with her brother, she now knew that she had work to do. Seeing that the sun had only just begun to rise, she carefully stood up, making sure not to rustle around too much and wake her denmates. If she were lucky, some of the lovers would be awake by now, since some of them liked getting an early start. Maneuvering around the other apprentices, she gave one last glance towards the sleeping couple.

 _I'll leave him to you,_ she whispered silently, and then proceeded to exit the hut. That last dream was just what she needed, and she was almost sure of what she had to do. If the head-males weren't going to believe that LoveClan was responsible for their missing clanmates, then Moonpaw would just have to make them believe. Her main concern, however, was how those she intended to involve would respond.

* * *

After having figured out her plan, and gone over it in her head continuously throughout the day, Moonpaw felt that it was best to bring it up as she helped in preparing the night-meal. She settled on making a subtle approach.

"So, I was thinking about heading out to get some more damson berries," she said casually, hoping to catch some attention from the other women.

Primrosefall looked up at her, "Why didn't you just get them earlier? The sunlight will be gone soon."

"I didn't think about it until now," Moonpaw replied, hoping that her lie sounded credible. She wasn't used to spinning tales, since Hazelmist had raised her and Jaypaw to be honest.

"Tch, there's no point in going out now; we're practically done," Stormfeather grunted, not looking away from the food she was finishing up on. The woman seemed to get more and more grumpy as she aged, Moonpaw observed.

"Besides," Nightsong said, "It's dangerous for us to go out at night. No one wants to go missing, I'm sure."

Desperate, Moonpaw blurted, "But what if I do?"

In an instant, everyone went quiet. Moonpaw shut her mouth, realizing that she had revealed her wish in a less subtle way than she had intended. Suddenly being the center of attention gave her the unbearable feeling of discomfort, but she knew that there was no point in trying to play it off. After all, she was going to tell them anyway.

Ashcloud was the one to break the silence, "Moonpaw…why would you want that?"

"You don't have some sort of weird fetish, do you?!" Honeyfur cried, forcing herself close to the younger girl, looking her in the eye.

Moonpaw gently pushed her friend away, her cheeks now a dusky shade of pink, "No, I don't."

"Then why..?" Blackpaw asked from her spot beside Frostbite. The young girl's eyes were wide and worried.

"I need to find out what's happened to the others," Moonpaw explained, just loud enough that the women around her could hear, "And the only way to do that is to 'vanish' myself."

As her words absorbed into her clanmates' minds, Sheeplight questioned her, "But what if you die or never come back? What good will that do, leaving us with one less clanmate?"

"I don't think that'll happen, since I'm pretty sure that the ones behind all this is LoveClan. I don't think they'd go through all the trouble of taking our clanmates just to kill them," Moonpaw replied.

Stormfeather scoffed, "Now why do you think LoveClan would be behind the disappearances? They've got enough to worry about, what with their repopulation issues."

Looking thoughtful, Ashcloud said, "But didn't one of their head-males say that LoveClan will soon be full? Who's to say they didn't mean they're using _our_ girls to accomplish that?"

"Exactly," Moonpaw agreed, grateful for her friend's back-up.

"Fair enough," Quailgaze said, "But how did you even get the idea in your head, girl?"

Feeling sure of herself, Moonpaw replied, "I managed to speak with Violet when I got out of camp a few days ago. She told me herself that she saw a LoveClan male carrying one of our lovers."

"You're risking your safety based on the word of a _kittypet_?" Primrosefall questioned, raising her eyebrow in disbelief. Some others seemed to agree that the idea of doing so sounded crazy, some of them even laughed. Moonpaw supposed that their reactions were justified, since kittypets had never been a reliable source in the past. But she had seen the look of fear on Violet's face as the girl recalled what she'd witnessed, and Moonpaw saw that expression as evidence of complete honesty.

"Yes, I am," she said, sitting up straight. She wanted to make herself look as serious as possible, being sure to let her tone be just so. Fortunately, it seemed to work. The others saw her face and heard her voice, now realizing that she meant what she had said.

Once again, all was quiet. After a moment or two, Blackpaw finally spoke, "Tell us how you'll do it."

* * *

Once she had explained everything, Moonpaw knew that there was just one last thing that she had to do, and she knew that it would possibly be the hardest part. She had to let Stormheart in, since he was required in order for her idea to work. In all honesty, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to convince him into helping, considering what he had said three nights ago.

" _If you became lost, I would surely die."_

Hearing the words in her head once more, Moonpaw blushed. She'd thought about it more than she would like to admit, and she could still feel his large hands on her shoulders as she did so. Sitting next to him now, she tried to gather courage to speak to him as she ate slowly. Her pace was apparently noticed by the guard, as he paused and looked down at her.

"Are you thinking again?" Stormheart asked, observing her slow chewing.

Seeing this as her chance, Moonpaw stopped eating at looked up at him, "Yes. I need you to help me, Stormheart."

The man tilted his head, "Is there a matter?"

"I have to go outside tonight…and get taken by LoveClan. It's the only way to prove that they're the ones who took our clanmates," Moonpaw told him, watching his eyes for any indication of possible agreement or declining.

Stormheart's eyes narrowed, "No."

"Please, Stormheart, I won't be able to do it without you!" the girl pleaded. Sandstorm had ordered others to keep a better eye on the camp entrance, meaning that Moonpaw was unlikely to get out alone without being noticed. "This is more important than anything else to me! Please!"

"That may be true for you," Stormheart said calmly, "But your safety is my concern. "

"Will you forget about being my guard for just a little bit?" Moonpaw asked, beginning to feel desperate. She fought to keep her voice low, not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation.

Stormheart sighed, "It's not as your guard."

"What else could you possibly mean?"

Moonpaw had no time to react when the man roughly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close. By the time her mind could grasp the situation, her lips were pressed against Stormheart's. Her face felt hot as a blush spread across her cheeks. This was her first kiss; not sloppy or lust-filled, but it carried the feeling of heat nonetheless. Then, just as fast as he had initiated, Stormheart released her.

"Forgive my actions," he said, avoiding eye-contact, "But that is what I meant."

With that said, the man stood and walked away to the soldiers hut, leaving his half-eaten meal behind. Moonpaw stared after him, her blush still remaining. After a couple heartbeats, she became aware that she was being stared at as well. Honeyfur and Ashcloud rushed over to her.

"Moonpaw, are you okay? Stormheart didn't hurt you, did he?" the latter asked, kneeling down and resting a hand on her back.

Honeyfur spoke before Moonpaw could, "Are you kidding me? Stormheart would sooner let a fox eat his _cock_ than lay a hand on her! But, I'll admit, that was a strange thing for him to do..."

"I'm fine, just…surprised, I guess," Moonpaw said, moving her fingers to her lips. Stormheart's lips were a bit chapped, but she wouldn't deny that they'd had a softness to them. Well, in her own mind, that is.

"That's good," Ashcloud breathed, "But those shoulders might bruise a bit; he grabbed her pretty hard."

Moonpaw moved to feel her left shoulder. Giving it a gentle poke, she winced slightly. Yes, they'd almost certainly be discolored by morning. Still, she felt that Stormheart had had no intention to harm her. That, she knew for sure now.

Nevertheless, she had to keep her mind on her plan, which meant pushing the very recent issue to the side. She was pretty sure that Stormheart would not help her, so she would just have to sneak out undetected somehow; perhaps a distraction.

Looking up at her friends she asked, "Can you guys help me out later?"

Honeyfur and Ashcloud glanced at each other before looking back at Moonpaw and nodding, both wearing determined looks.

* * *

Moonpaw had to wait until nearly everyone had gone to their nests, which took a great deal of patience, given the fact that Blackpaw had begged to join her. The younger girl's words had been to no avail, since Moonpaw was sure that the plan wouldn't work if she had someone with her. Reluctantly, Blackpaw had curled up in her nest after wishing Moonpaw good luck.

This night, Moonpaw noticed that Darkpaw was in Jaypaw's nest for a change. She figured it had to do with her brother's nest being larger, but didn't question it due to seeing that Jaypaw was observably exhausted. Instead, Darkpaw had given her a nod as the girl allowed Jaypaw to curl his body around hers. Moonpaw accepted it, and nodded back as she exited the hut.

At this point, the only ones awake were her, Honeyfur, Ashcloud, and the camp-guard for the night, Berrypatch. Moonpaw was grateful that it wasn't someone more watchful like Redstorm, since Berrypatch was more likely to get distracted than the older man. She waited as patiently as possible, despite the tingling in her toes and the fluttering in her belly. The conjoined feelings were something she'd never experienced before; something exhilarating.

Finally, she saw Honeyfur and Ashcloud heading towards the camp entrance, making sure to walk directly in front of Berrypatch as they did so. As expected, the man immediately jumped up and stopped them, launching questions at the girls. Moonpaw made a note to herself, stating that she'd have to thank them once more when she returned.

She slipped out from behind the apprentices hut, trying her best to remain hidden as she sneaked towards the exit. Her black hair and fur would certainly help her, as long as she kept the white tips hidden. But with the sky being clear, her fair skin would be visible in the moonlight. Hopefully, Berrypatch would be too caught up with her friends to notice the gleam of her flesh.

Honeyfur and Ashcloud kept dragging out their explanations, changing their reasons for "wanting to head out", and basically trying to keep Berrypatch focused on them for as long as possible. The man seemed to be getting a bit annoyed, tapping his foot against the cold ground. Moonpaw felt no need to worry about him cutting them off with impatience, since he was not known for doing so. For now, he'd just listen to them talk.

She was a mere tail-length from the camp exit when Berrypatch caught sight of the white tip that adorned her tail. She froze as she heard him shout, "Hey, what are you doing?!"

Moonpaw's heart skipped a beat. If the head-males found out that she was trying to leave alone again, they'd surely make it impossible for her to give another attempt. Looking up, she saw Honeyfur and Ashcloud giving her apologetic looks. With a glance, she reassured them that she wasn't upset with them.

Berrypatch walked up to her, "Moonpaw? Wow, you must really have a taste for trouble, huh?" He placed his hands on his hips, "Well, I'll have to report all three of you to the head-males, you know."

"That isn't necessary."

Moonpaw jumped and whirled around to see Stormheart behind her. His face was back to its usual deadpan expression, not giving any of his thoughts away. She wondered how he had managed to sneak up behind her so easily. He didn't give her so much as a single glance as he looked Berrypatch in the eye.

Berrypatch himself seemed startled by the man's sudden appearance. He recovered much faster than Moonpaw did, however, and spoke to him, "Are you going with her?"

Stormheart nodded in silent confirmation.

"Alright then, go on ahead," Berrypatch said in response, stepping back to allow them to leave. Moonpaw didn't move until Stormheart gave her a nudge, urging her forward.

In her head, Moonpaw's mind was reeling. Why was he helping her after he had so clearly stated that he wouldn't earlier? Glancing back, she saw her friends looking as confused as she was before losing sight of them behind the brambles.

She and Stormheart walked in silence for a long time, leaving her feeling more than uncomfortable. Oddly enough, she didn't feel his eyes on her back like usual. A few weeks ago, she would have been glad too not be stared at, but it now left her wary. As she thought over what she could possibly say, she didn't notice a small tree branch in front of her, and tripped as a result.

A surprised yelp exited her mouth as she prepared to hit the ground face-first. A heartbeat passed, then another. Opening one eye, she realized that an arm had looped around her waist, and she was pulled back upright.

"Don't think so much," Stormheart said quietly, "You'll get hurt. Did I tell you this?"

A sigh of relief left Moonpaw's lungs as the man spoke to her. That was something he would have said a week ago, which meant that he was back to normal. What incredible recovery time.

"Yes, you did," she replied, sporting a soft smile, "I guess I don't listen too well, huh?"

She swore that a slight upward curve on his lips, "No…you never have."

"Is that why you came; despite what you said?" Moonpaw asked, searching his eyes.

"You would have gone either way," Stormheart said, and he was right, too. Moonpaw knew it just as well as he did.

 _Strange…how he knows me so well,_ she thought. It was an enticing topic, but she had something to do. Therefore, it would have to wait.

"I need to be alone for this to work, you know," she said, trying to return to her plan-mindset. There was no way that the kidnappers would come near if Stormheart was close by. The man was taller than most other males, and had a solid build as a bonus. All-in-all, he was intimidating to those who didn't know him well. No, there was no way that someone would try to take her if he was within sight.

Stormheart didn't seem to like the idea, his eyebrows furrowing. In spite of that, he nodded, "Yes. I'll be close, just out of sight."

Accepting the reply, Moonpaw turned and started away. She made good space between them, heading towards the lake. She walked for a while, and came to wonder if there were any LoveClanners even present this night. As she got closer to the lake, she noticed a breeze coming from the direction of the moors. It carried the scents of rabbit, chilled grass, and the undeniable moist stench of LoveClan. She paused and took a whiff.

Two males close by. One of them caught her attention, as she noticed that it was the soldier she'd encountered at the Gathering. Her heart jumped, and she froze out of fear for a moment. But she forced herself to continue, realizing that she couldn't let them know that she'd noticed them. The feeling of eyes on her was different in comparison to Stormheart's watchful gaze. She felt oddly violated.

As she caught sight of the lake, she decided that she needed to make it more believable that she wasn't aware of the males' presence. Thinking quickly, she hurried towards the shore and began to pretend searching for shells. In HeartClan, they weren't often used for jewelry, but it was unlikely that the LoveClan soldiers knew this.

She picked up the few shells that she spotted for effect, ignoring the sand that covered the cold, wet objects as she piled them together in the kink of one arm. Occasionally, the lake's freezing water lapped at her feet, causing sand to stick to her skin. Nonetheless, she ignored this, and continued with her act.

Despite expecting it, Moonpaw still squealed when a man burst from the trees and grabbed one of her arms. In her surprise, she dropped the shells and turned to see that her attacker. All she could observe was dark-gray hair before a hand covered her mouth. The heat of breath met her neck, and the man sniffed her.

"Young," he said as his companion came to join him, "fertile."

Moonpaw came face-to-face with the familiar male from the Gathering as he walked in front of her. A smile spread across his face as he recognized her.

"Ah, it's the pretty kitten I told you about, Boulderstrike," he replied, moving a hand to gently brush her hip.

"That so, Wolfthorn?" Boulderstrike asked, sniffing her again, "Don't think seeing her first gives you dibs. I haven't had a young one in a while."

Moonpaw felt sick as they looked her over. She had never been looked at like this, and she didn't like it one bit. She felt naked, disgusting, and nauseous. Surely they wouldn't do anything now? At the moment, she forgot that Stormheart was nearby. There wasn't anything he could do anyway, lest the plan be ruined.

Still feeling disgusted, she allowed herself to be thrown over Boulderstrike's shoulder. The two men spoke and laughed as they carried her away. Moonpaw didn't fight, something they took as submission. Glancing at the forest that she knew so well, she caught sight of Stormheart, now standing partially behind a tree that lined the shore. Neither of her captors noticed him as they chatted, thankfully.

He was watching them go, hands twitching as if he wished to take action, which he likely did. Moonpaw managed to make eye-contact with him and gave him a reassuring smile.

He didn't smile back this time.

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 **A/N: Damn, that was a long chapter! Over 3k! I guess you guys deserve it for being so patient. Thanks a bunch! Here if your fun fact for the day:**

 **Fun Fact:** **HeartClan females are deemed sexually-mature at age 14, but are expected to refrain from sexual acts until they are 16. As for LoveClan, 13 is fair-game.**

 **Also, new pictures are being uploaded onto my deviantart page, so you can take a looksie if you like~!**

 **Guest:** ***blush* Your praise pleases Author-san. Yes, the summary remains true. Only the story-idea changed, thankfully. The sex and violence will be coming in soon, so you won't have to wait much longer! ;)**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	13. Nine: Reunion

LoveClan's camp reeked of a type of stench that only marshes could create. Moonpaw was grateful that she hadn't been forced to walk, since she had heard the squish of the ground beneath her captors' feet. More than once, Wolfthorn had complained of the how cold the moist pine-forest floor had gotten. Aside from the undesirable smell, the sharp scent of pine wisped into Moonpaw's nose. Alone, she figured that it would have been nice. But combined with the marsh, it only worsened the disgusting odor.

Once she was carried into the camp, she was instantly greeted by the sound of chatter. Glancing up, she was astonished to see that it looked similar to her own clan's camp; territory aside. The sound of a whimpering kit came from what she assumed was the nursery, hidden behind three wide-branched pines. Following it, the quiet voice of a woman soothed the child.

Silvermist, their medicine holder, was busily organizing some herbs outside of her hut. The woman took little notice to Moonpaw's arrival as she quietly muttered to herself. Off to the side, Moonpaw noticed her good friend, Sunpaw, sharing a late meal with a girl she recognized as Milkpaw.

It could easily be assumed that most of the other clan members had retired, as the camp was empty for the most part. However, those who were awake quickly realized that there was a new female in their presence, and stopped what they were doing to get a better look.

"Ah, so you've managed to find another one; well done," a man praised. Moonpaw quickly recognized the tired voice as belonging to Mudtooth, one of the three head-males. She couldn't see him, but anyone would recognize his voice. For a moment, she was shocked. Mudtooth had always seemed like the kindest out of LoveClan's head-males, so how could he possibly approve of this?

"Yeah, seems like HeartClan is starting to ease up again," Wolfthorn replied, as if it were a typical casual conversation. As he said this, Moonpaw felt herself being lowered non-too-gently. If it hadn't been for her reflexes, she would have fallen on her side as Boulderstrike dropped her carelessly. Catching herself, she got to her feet, only to have Boulderstrike grab her arm as if to stop her from attempting escape.

Mudtooth looked down at her with nothing short of friendliness in his eyes, but spoke to the man holding her arm, "I'm sure she won't risk running for it. You two can go to your nests for the night, excellent job."

Wolfthorn didn't hesitate to walk off in the direction of what Moonpaw guessed was the soldiers hut. However, the man glanced back at her and smiled before entering. As for Boulderstrike, he gave her arm a squeeze, and followed his companion.

Seeing that they were gone, Moonpaw looked up at the head-male and quietly asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Mudtooth's expression changed slightly, as if he were feeling helpless. He didn't answer her question, though, and instead said, "You look tired. Why don't you get some rest?"

Moonpaw wasn't given time to respond as he took her hand and led her to a hut that stood between two tall, skinny pine trees. He nudged aside the hide that covered the entrance, revealing that the hut belonged to the lovers. What caught Moonpaw's attention, however, was a head of ash-blonde hair. She broke away from Mudtooth, who didn't bother to stop her.

Stepping over the other sleeping bodies with habitual care, she hurried towards the one woman she had yearned to see for so long. Without regard for the fact that she was sleeping, Moonpaw threw herself on top of her, startling the woman awake.

"Huh? What is it?" she asked tiredly, sitting up as Moonpaw wrapped her arms around her in an embrace.

Moonpaw found herself sobbing as she drank in the scent that she had missed dearly. To think she had almost forgotten it when it was so nostalgic and comforting. At the moment, she was a kit again, pitiful and dependant. Between her loud sobs, she managed to choke out one word:

"Mother."

Hazelmist went still, and spoke in a quiet voice, "…Moonpaw?"

Nodding tearfully, Moonpaw pressed her face further into her mother's shoulder. In an instant, Hazelmist returned the embrace and held her kit close. By now, both of them were crying and waking up the others at the same time. Some grouchily shouted at them to quiet down, while others simply stared. It didn't mean anything to Moonpaw, who only felt the pure joy and relief of being with her parent once more.

Hazelmist grabbed her face in order to get a good look at her. Moonpaw, seeing the familiar laugh-lines and that adorned her mother's face, cried even harder. As for her mother, Hazelmist gave a fond smile through her tears, in spite of the fact that Moonpaw didn't look her best with her face red, cheeks streaked with tears, and snot running down her upper lip. Regardless, Hazelmist's eyes revealed nothing but love for her daughter.

"Mo-onpaw, my...baby, my beau-tiful little…Moonpaw," Hazelmist chanted over-and-over as sniffled and returned Moonpaw to her shoulder, rocking back and forth as she cradled the apprentice's head.

Moonpaw wasn't too sure, but she figured that she had cried herself to sleep in her mother's hold. Closing her eyes, she allowed her sobs to quiet down as she was soothed by the feeling of Hazelmist rocking her, and the sound of her mother's heart beat. There was only one thing that could truly make Moonpaw feel like a kit once more, and the vibration of Hazelmist's purring did just that.

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 **A/N: Okei, this chapter was shorter than the last. I hope you guys don't mind that. ^ ^'**

 **Recently, I've created an account on Charahub, called** _ **Static_Night**_ **. On this site, you can find extra info on the characters in this story! In order to find me, you'll have to search Stormheart's name and click on him (he'll be the only human-like image). Then, you can click on my username and find other characters.**

 **Now, be warned that there are spoilers and characters from the sequel,** _ **Path**_ **, and other upcoming stories. If you don't mind, read as you like and tell me what you think!**

 **Here's our fact of the day:**

 **Fun Fact:** **Stormheart has had a crush on Moonpaw since he was 13 and she was 9, meaning that he's had these feelings for 7 years. Talk about patience!**

 **Please remember to review, since they give me more motivation to continue!**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	14. Ten: Punishable

**WARNING:** **Attempted rape and whipping.**

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The following morning, Moonpaw had been hounded about how the clan was doing, especially family members. She had honestly never seen Nightshimmer so pleased when she learned that her kits were progressing wonderfully. Hazelmist had sported a broad smile when she found out that Jaypaw was getting stronger, as well as the fact that he seemed to be taking an interest in Darkpaw. Moonpaw stopped answering questions in detail, however, when her mother asked about her and Stormheart.

She was genuinely surprised by how calm her clanmates were about their situation. Petalwing gossiped with a LoveClan lover, Vixenskip, about whoever they felt like talking about. Nightshimmer and Darkwhisper quietly assisted the lovers with some weaving, with Sweetheart fetching materials with some other women. Ravenpaw was happily playing with the kits, paying plenty of attention whenever Flamekit told her to look at whatever he was doing.

All of it left Moonpaw in absolute confusion, since she had expected them to be at least a little bit concerned about their fates. Even Hazelmist didn't seem too distressed as she conversed with Raindrop.

 _It's like they weren't kidnapped at all_ , she thought. Without knowing it, she had accidentally voiced her thoughts out loud, catching Frostleaf's attention.

"Don't be fooled," the older woman said, making Moonpaw jump, "They were all plenty scared when they arrived. They're just used to it now."

Moonpaw furrowed her brow, "But…why is this even happening? Can't they head-males let procreation happen naturally?"

Frostleaf, hearing her friend's question, lowered her voice, "…You'll have to talk to one of them about that."

Why not do just that? Moonpaw hadn't allowed herself to be taken from her home without even knowing the exact reason as to why. She straightened herself, getting to her feet, "Alright then. Where is their hut?"

Her friend didn't say anything; she just lifted her arm and pointed. Following the finger, Moonpaw saw that the hut was located far from the rest, unlike the one in HeartClan. It was in an open area, however, with a clearing surrounding it, making it lighter than the rest of camp. In short, the hut stuck out like a sore thumb, and Moonpaw felt embarrassed for not having noticed it in the first place.

Regardless, she took a breath and began walking towards the hut, leaving her clanmates behind. This was a grave mistake, something that she had not taken the care to realize. Not even halfway there, a pair of arms wrapped around her midsection. She sucked in a breath out of surprise, freezing out of instinct.

The man behind her sighed, pressing against her back. Moonpaw felt something poking at her lower back, and her mind went into a panic when she remembered the lessons she had received when she was thirteen.

"Please," she whispered, "let go of me."

"I don't think I want to," the man replied. His voice was somewhat familiar, and Moonpaw was sure that she had heard it at a Gathering before. He continued with, "It's hard to ignore the way you swing those hips, you know."

Moonpaw was hit by confusion. She was not aware that she had been doing so, and figured that he was simply coming up with an excuse to be so close to her.

"Let go," she repeated. This time, she squirmed in his arms, managing to turn halfway before those arms tightened.

Now, she was able to see him partially, and recognized him as Sharpglare, one of the older soldiers. Disgusted, she tried to break-free of his hold, which was to no avail. In fact, Sharpglare laughed at her attempts, "Fighting only makes me harder."

This horrified Moonpaw, and she began to punch at his arms. How was no one seeing this? Looking around, she saw that no one was around the part of camp that they were in. Seeing that her punches had no effect, she lifted her leg and kicked backwards. She felt a rush of satisfaction as a cry came from the soldier once her heel met his shin.

Once again, Moonpaw had made a grave mistake. Angrily, Sharpglare roughly lifted her up and started out of camp. He didn't bother with the actual exit, instead choosing to head straight for the pines. Moonpaw panicked, realizing what she had done, and kicked wildly as she flailed around in an attempt to escape. If anyone heard her cries, they chose to ignore them.

Just outside of camp, she managed to elbow him in the face. Immediately, Sharpglare threw her to the ground. It was drier than it had been the night before, and Moonpaw felt her shoulder ache as she landed on it. She wasn't given the chance, however, to clutch it in pain. Before she knew it, Sharpglare was on top of her, snarling in her face, blood oozing from his nose.

"You thought that was cute of you, huh? You even gave me a fucking nosebleed!" he hissed, allowing spit to land on Moonpaw's face, much to her repulsion. She wasn't able to feel her full disgust, being too busy with the terror that was flooding into her body.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized, hoping that he might still let her go. Though, in her heart, she knew that that was unlikely. Her thoughts were confirmed when Sharpglare bared a dark smile.

"You will be," he replied, "When your little belly is full of my kits."

"No!" Moonpaw cried, trying once more to escape. Her shoulder wasn't cooperating, and she couldn't even manage to pull herself up.

Sharpglare chuckled at her failed attempt at escape, and began to pull at her chest-covering. He lowered his head, planting rough, careless kisses on her neck. More than once, his teeth scraped against her flesh, making her wince between her helpless cries for help. She grew even more frantic when a tough-skinned hand moved beneath her skirt and two fingers aggressively made their way into her opening. At this point, tears were running down her face and she was on the verge of begging for her chastity.

Happening to glance out the corner of her eye, Moonpaw caught sight of her mother bolting from the nearby camp and rushing towards them. She felt a rush of hope, but then realized that there was no way her mother could stand up against Sharpglare, being a small, lithe woman. Her sense of optimism faded even faster when Hazelmist suddenly stopped about six fox-lengths away.

The woman's eyes were wide, but she was not looking at the scene before her. Moonpaw wondered what her mother could _possibly_ be paying more attention to when her daughter was being so absolutely violated. All of the sudden, Sharpglare was off of her.

Moonpaw laid there, breasts revealed to the chilly air, hair strewn around her head like leaves around an oak. Her chest heaved as her panic eased, and she finally noticed the sound of fighting men, causing her to turn her head and look at the source. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Stormheart was atop Sharpglare, pinning him down with one hand on his neck, the other curled into a fist and repeatedly hitting the LoveClanner's face. Sharpglare bared his teeth, and swung up a hand, bringing a blow to the side of Stormheart's head. In turn, the HeartClan soldier fell off of him and Sharpglare quickly rushed to pin him. The two men continued to wrestle with flying fists and growled profanities.

Moonpaw was so busy staring in shock that she didn't notice her mother hurrying to her until the woman was helping her to her feet. Given a normal situation, Hazelmist would have made an attempt to fix her daughter's torn chest-covering, but she instead grabbed the tattered remains and forced Moonpaw to hold it over her breasts.

It seemed that the rest of camp had finally noticed that something was going on, be it because of the sounds of fighting or Hazelmist rushing away, the area was soon the core of attention. Two soldiers quickly rushed forward and grabbed Stormheart, yanking him away from Sharpglare and throwing him to the side. The force of the act startled Moonpaw, since she could visibly tell that the breath had been knocked from the man's lungs due to it.

"What in the name of StarClan is going on?" Mudtooth asked loudly, making his way to the front of the gathered crowd. His eyes widened upon the scene, and he went speechless. Scorchfire and Blackheart forced their way to his side, and the latter had a similar reaction. The former, however, took action.

Scorchfire looked to Sharpglare, "What happened?"

The soldier spit some blood onto the ground, "I was about to teach this bitch a lesson," he motioned towards Moonpaw and then towards Stormheart, "And this crazy guy came out of nowhere and attacked me."

Hearing this, Scorchfire turned his head and looked over Stormheart. The man was back up, being held back by two soldiers as he tried to lunge at Sharpglare again. Moonpaw had _never_ seen so much raw emotion on his face, which held an expression of pure, unadulterated rage. In his fury, he didn't seem to care about what was being said. It was as if all Stormheart could see was his intended target, which could be true for all Moonpaw knew.

Scorchfire's eyes narrowed, "Bring him back."

With this said, he turned and walked off, waving a hand for his clanmates to clear out. Obedient as a dog, they hurried away, including the two other head-males. Mudtooth gave the two soldiers that held Stormheart a nod, and then glanced at Moonpaw with an apologetic look before walking away. The two soldiers forced Stormheart into standing and began marching him away with difficultly, since the HeartClan male still clearly wanted to slaughter Sharpglare.

The would-be-rapist gave Moonpaw and Hazelmist a glare before reluctantly following Scorchfire's silent order and following his clanmates. When only Moonpaw and her mother stood, she finally noticed the weakness in her knees and began to collapse. Quickly, Hazelmist grabbed her daughter and supported her weight.

"Come along, love, I think you could use some rest," the older woman urged, "And I'll see to your covering."

"…Why didn't they care?" Moonpaw asked after a moment of shaky walking.

Hazelmist sighed, "That's LoveClan's way. Rape isn't as much of a crime here as it is in HeartClan. I'm just pleased that Stormheart saved you before you met that kind of fate."

"Stormheart…what are they going to do to him?" Moonpaw questioned, suddenly feeling a surge of concern for her guard.

"I don't know," Hazelmist replied with pure honesty. Seeing Moonpaw's expression, she quickly changed the subject, "Now's not the time for words, love. Save your energy."

* * *

Moonpaw wasn't sure how long she had managed to sleep, but she was startled awake by the sound of a sudden commotion. Sitting up, she looked around and saw that no one else was in the den besides herself and Hazelmist. Her mother noticed that she was awake, immediately trying to lay her back down.

"You've only been out for a few minutes, love," she said, gently pushing Moonpaw down, "Go back to sleep."

"What's going on?" Moonpaw asked, not allowing her back to meet the ground once more. By the sound of it, there was definitely something big going on.

"It's nothing, love," Hazelmist insisted. But just as she said this, a loud voice, undoubtedly Scorchfire's, became audible.

"The punishment will now begin!"

Hearing this, Moonpaw bolted up, wondering what the head-male could possibly mean by that. Somewhere, deep in her heart, she knew that it wasn't a good thing. Not for her at least. She ignored he mother's calls for her to come back, hurrying out of the hut with only a hide to cover her chest. She stopped in her tracks, however, when she saw what was happening.

Stormheart was on his knees in the middle of the clearing, arms tied behind his back. He was looking Scorchfire right in the eye, his face expressionless, but his eyes on fire. Behind him, a soldier that Moonpaw recognized as Pinestorm, was wielding a strange object that Moonpaw had never seen before. It had a long vine for a handle, and multiple branches of thorns were closely woven together. It looked like something out of a nightmare.

"This soldier has come into our territory without our permission, and attacked one of our own," Scorchfire bellowed as he gestured towards Stormheart, "He poses a threat to us. Therefore, he must be taught a lesson."

"And yet rape isn't punishable?" Moonpaw uttered, not loud enough for the head-male to hear due to her disbelief. Beside her, Ravenpaw seemed to hear her and looked up.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Ravenpaw said, "He'll have you hurt, too."

Moonpaw didn't respond, her eyes locked on Stormheart. What were they going to do? They wouldn't really strike him with that thing, would they? The thought of such a thing made Moonpaw's skin tingle with dread.

Scorchfire turned to Pinestorm, "Twenty-eight lashes. That shouldn't kill a man like him," was all he said.

Nodding, Pinestorm pulled back and let the thorn-vine meet Stormheart's back. The sound of the impact was akin to the sickening crack of a no-tail chopping down a tree. It dug into the soldier's back, leaving his new wound to seep blood as it pulled away. Some fox-lengths away, Petalwing bolted away from the crowd, unable to watch her son be punished in such a way.

Moonpaw watched with wide eyes as the thorn-vine struck her guard's back again and again, each time stripping flesh from his back. She wanted badly to run like Petalwing had, but her legs felt like the roots of a plant, unable to move. They stuck to the ground, keeping her in place as she felt pure horror going through her.

As soon as it had began, it ended with nearly thirty strikes to Stormheart's back. There wasn't much of a back left for him, flesh torn up and blood pooling down his legs onto the ground. Somehow, he had managed to stay upright throughout the whole thing, but he fell forward as soon as it was over.

"Take him to Silvermist and stitch up what's left of his back," Scorchfire ordered. Pinestorm obeyed, waving over a soldier who helped him lift up Stormheart and dragged him to the medicine hut where Silvermist and Brightsky waited.

It was only once they were gone that Moonpaw felt able to move. Instead of rushing towards Stormheart or storming up to Scorchfire, she bent over and vomited onto the ground.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Wow, I hope you guys didn't find that too gross. The weapon used to strike Stormheart is like the Clan version of a whip, which can cause terrible wounds. Anyway, here's our fun fact for the day:**

 **Fun Fact:** **Among the head-males, there is somewhat of a hierarchy. The oldest of them have the most power out of the rest, but all of them are supposed to work together in caring for the clan.**

 **We are getting really close to the end, my friends! I'm being honest when I say that this is the most dedicated I've even been to a story! I can't wait to bring you guys the sequel!**

 **Bonus:** **I'm thinking about creating a side-story to this. The side-story would be about how ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan became HeartClan and LoveClan. What do you guys think? Would that be a good story? Tell me in the reviews.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	15. ATTENTION!

**ATTENTION READERS:**

 **I am changing my username! By tomorrow, I will no longer be "** _ **Tina Vainamoinen**_ **". Instead, I will be "** _ **Tina-chan V.**_ **" But you guys can just refer to me as "Tina-chan".**

 **I've been thinking about changing my name for a while, since it's started to feel old. This isn't the first time I've done it, since I've been known as " _Takashimo_ " and " _Sunleaf_ " in the past. However, this is the longest time that I've kept a name.**

 **I just wanted you all to be aware of the change that will soon be taking place.**

 **While I'm here, I might as well tell you that I'm thinking about putting some OCs up for adoption. What do you think about that?**

 **Anyways, thanks you listening/reading.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	16. Eleven: Tears

The night meal was the tensest Moonpaw had ever experienced. Her clanmates were now wary of their captors once more, and they had a complete right to be so. Petalwing had gone as far as moving several fox-lengths from the others, refusing the comfort of her old friends' presence. As for Moonpaw, herself, she ate very slowly, sitting close to Hazelmist as she nibbled on her food. It was some kind of reptile, something that Moonpaw would be a bit disturbed by such a meal, but she couldn't care less now. Besides, she didn't even taste the stretchy meat as she nipped off tiny bites and swallowed with no hesitation.

Her eyes remained glued to the toys hut, which was separate from the rest of camp. Given normal circumstances, Moonpaw would question why LoveClan trusted their toys not to run away when their hut stood so far from the others, but her thoughts only rested on Stormheart.

The soldier had been taken in there just before sun-down, unconscious in the arms of a couple LoveClan soldiers. Moonpaw hadn't been able to see his back, but she was sure that it had to be an awful wound. Scorchfire had warned everyone to stay away from him, warning that Stormheart might be dangerous when he wakes up. A load of dung, Nightshimmer had murmured under her breath.

"I'm sorry."

Moonpaw's eyes snapped away from the toys hut, turning to her mother as she heard the woman speak. Hazelmist's eyes were downcast, a look of guilt on her face, "This is my fault."

"Mother," Moonpaw said in a hushed, gentle voice, "None of this is your fault."

"Oh, but it is, love," Hazelmist insisted, "I'm the reason you're here—no, don't tell me I'm wrong, I know it's the truth. And because you're here, Stormheart came. Love, I'm so sorry!"

Moonpaw placed a hand on her mother's shoulder, "No…it's okay."

"And I'm sorry for shunning you two that night," Hazelmist choked out as she was overwhelmed by emotion, "It wasn't your faults that Stoneheart stopped loving me. StarClan, I don't think he ever did in the first place. I shouldn't have taken it out on my kits."

 _So that's why she did that,_ Moonpaw thought as her mother sniffled. In all honesty, Moonpaw had stopped caring about that night as soon as she had seen her mother again. She herself had taken notice that Stoneheart was giving appreciate glances towards Nightsong around that time, but hadn't paid too much mind to it. Knowing her father just enough, Moonpaw felt that Hazelmist was entitled to some brooding, though it had meant leaving her children in the cold.

"Mother…it's okay,'' Moonpaw said in a soft tone. She rested a hand on her mother's shoulder in a soothing kind of gesture. Hazelmist was still attempting to hold back her tears, though failing, and looked at her daughter with a slightly-reddened face.

"Really, it is," the girl stated, "I understand; though it did hurt at the time…and I'm sure that Jaypaw feels the same."

In reality, Moonpaw wasn't exactly certain about how her brother felt anymore. They hadn't been as close as usual lately, and they hadn't even talked much aside from basic morning greetings and evening good-nights. Despite this, she knew that Jaypaw was getting along better than he had when Hazelmist first disappeared, likely thanks to Darkpaw's support. Of course, Moonpaw didn't want her mother to know of her slight uncertainty.

"Love, I—"

"No more," Moonpaw cut in. Her mother seemed surprised for a moment, likely because Moonpaw had never interrupted the woman before. But that look of surprise soon faded to one of pride, despite the fact that Hazelmist was obviously not convinced that this wasn't her fault.

Hazelmist lifted one hand to wipe away her tears, taking a moment to calm herself before offering a smile at her daughter, "It seems you've really grown."

Moonpaw smiled back, "Yes…it seems so."

She was glad that that moment of tears was over, as Moonpaw had had enough emotion for the day. At that thought, her mind drifted back to Stormheart. If anyone was to blame for the man's injuries, it was herself. Had she not told him her plan in the first place, he would have never known that she was in LoveClan. Perhaps she should have asked someone else for assistance, but it was far too late for that.

StarClan, how was she going to let her clanmates know what happened? She had planned to get away at some point, but after witnessing the brutality of this Clan, she wasn't sure if she could gather enough courage to do it.

"You should go see him."

Moonpaw's thoughts were put to a halt when her mother spoke. She looked at her, wondering for a moment what she was talking about. It seemed as if Hazelmist had read her mind when the woman continued.

"No one's watching," she whispered, "Go to him."

"He's probably still unconscious," Moonpaw reasoned, "and the toys might alert the soldiers."

Hazelmist shook her head, "No, love. Those toys have nothing to gain from doing that, and they don't have anything against us anyways. Besides, I can tell that you worry for him. Even if he is unresponsive, seeing him will put your mind to rest."

Moonpaw bit her lip, turning to see if anyone was looking at them. Not a single eye caught hers. Her feet ached to take her to the toys hut. Her heart pounded. Who knows what would happen if she were caught. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt that Scorchfire wouldn't take her attempt too kindly. She was already on the bad side of a trusted soldier in the head-male's eyes.

Hazelmist nudged her, "Hurry now, love."

Those words were like a push to her back, pushing her to her feet. Moonpaw was moving before she even realized it, trying to remain as quiet as possible as she stepped on the soft, pine needle-covered ground, making her way towards the small hut. With each squish of moisture beneath her feet, she expected to hear a shout of alarm, to be caught and treated to the same punishment as Stormheart, maybe even worse. But no, she found herself standing in front of the hut alone. A feeling of relief washed over her.

She stood there for a moment, wondering if she should announce her presence or not. Well, she didn't want the toys to be startled and start making noise, so she swallowed what little moisture that was in her throat and spoke.

"Ah, excuse me."

Her voice came out quiet, but not above a whisper. It was unlikely that anyone inside had heard her. Moonpaw tried again, trying to be just loud enough for the inhabitants to hear.

"Is anyone in there?"

This time, someone answered, "Of course."

With a bit more confidence, Moonpaw parted her lips once more, "I'd like to see my friend."

"Weren't you told not to?"

"Yes, but I have to."

Silence. Moonpaw fidgeted, wondering if it was okay for her to enter, or if the toys were going to raise alarm. She'd never had much contact with the toys in her own Clan, as there was no reason for her to do so. As a result, she felt hopelessly anxious about talking to these nekos. Finally, a reply came.

"Well, come on in. Before someone sees you."

Success! Releasing a breath, Moonpaw stepped inside as she moved the hide out of the way. The hut was even smaller on the inside than it looked on the outside, and horribly crowded with just seven toys. Most of them were girls, aside from one boy. Moonpaw blinked at him, noticing that he seemed familiar.

"Don't dally," one of the women snapped, "You can only be in here for so long, you know."

The woman had her arms crossed, her long silvery-gray hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back. In her lap, a younger girl was resting her head, fast asleep. Obviously, this woman was like the mother hen of the group, her eyes boring into Moonpaw with a "do something I don't like and I'll maim you" kind of message.

Another woman, who was getting her hair curly braided, smacked the glaring girl lightly on the forearm. She then set her blue eyes on Moonpaw, "Don't mind Swirl, she's just protective. Your friend is right there."

Moonpaw followed the girl's pointing finger with her eyes, which eventually rested on the still body of Stormheart. The man lay on his side, his back facing away from Moonpaw, a thin fur blanket thrown over him. His chest rose and fell slowly; not the regular sleeping kind of slow, but the hard-to-breathe kind of slow. He suddenly shook, causing Moonpaw's heart to jump with worry, before settling into the slow rhythm once again.

"Poor guy," the curly-haired woman said in a pitying tone, "He'll have some nasty scars, but he's lucky to be alive, yes he is."

Moonpaw didn't acknowledge her words as she made her way towards the soldier. Quietly, she settled beside him, sitting with her legs crossed before her. He didn't seem to be unconscious, just sleeping. Some of his long hair was in his face, covering his eyes and forehead. Carefully, Moonpaw moved her hand to brush the hair away to bare his sleeping face.

"Didn't that guy used to do that to you?" a high, scratchy voice questioned. Moonpaw turned, and saw that the query had come from the one young man, or rather, the strange thing on his hand. Upon seeing it, she realized who the man was.

Snakeshade. That was his name. The man had gone missing a few years prior, and no amount of searching had been to avail. He'd always been odd, with that thing on his hand that he called "Yoyo".

The thing "spoke" again, "Hey, Moonie, didn't ya hear me? That guy was always doin' that same thing when you slept."

The man noticed that Moonpaw was looking at him, and he put a finger to the thing's "lips" and hushed it. In turn, he used the thing to shove his own hand away.

"Don't hush me! I'm talkin' here!"

Snakeshade pleaded with it, "Please, Yoyo, sleep."

"I'll sleep when I wanna sleep!" it spat at him.

Swirl growled, "Will you shut-up?"

"Bite me, you saggy-titty bitch!"

"Yoyo, please!"

Moonpaw tore her attention away from them when she heard Stormheart grunt in his sleep. His expression was that of pain, and Moonpaw wondered if he was dreaming about his "punishment". Her heart ached for him, not just out of pity, but out of empathy as well. Briefly, she visualized the vine-thing lashing Stormheart's back, taking just a heartbeat to slash into him and rid his back of a sliver of flesh. Hot, metallic-smelling blood welled up, filling the wound and flowing out to run down his back to meet his buttocks.

She didn't even realize that she was crying for what seemed like the hundredth time. That is, until her warm tears rolled down her cheeks, cooling as they rushed down to her chin. Her eyelashes became damp, clinging together in clumps and hooking onto each other when she blinked away the tears that clouded her vision. Her face grew hot, and she figured that it was now red like Hazelmist's had been. Moonpaw couldn't care less about her more-than-likely unsightly appearance, as she rested her forehead against Stormheart's temple. Her tears dripped onto his face, and she didn't realize that the wetness had awakened him.

Her eyes, which had been shut tight, shot open when a large hand met her back. She sat up, and saw Stormheart looking at her with tired, amber eyes. There was a hint of what Moonpaw recognized as happiness in his eyes, much to her surprise, given the guard's current state.

Stormheart lifted his own hand to move her hair, which had been plastered to her face by her tears. The motion was almost exactly like what Moonpaw had done just a few minutes before. His hand was cold, likely due to the loss of blood that he had endured. The skin of his palm was rough, but comforting all the same. Moonpaw leaned into his touch, relishing the calming gesture.

"Honestly," he said in a hoarse voice, "You shouldn't think too much."

Realizing that the man was making light of the situation, Moonpaw laughed despite having been crying moments before. It seemed as if Stormheart was trying to lean up to her, but he grunted in pain and fell back to his side. Moonpaw immediately stopped laughing and asked him in a worried tone, "Are you okay?"

That was a dumb question, she realized. He was obviously _not_ okay, but Moonpaw decided that she could chide herself later. Stormheart hissed when she placed her hand on his shoulder a bit too harshly, and she quickly apologized.

"I'll be fine," Stormheart assured her, "It only hurts now."

"You should be asleep still. I'm sorry I woke you," Moonpaw uttered.

The man seemed to get passed his pain, becoming settled again. He looked up at Moonpaw and said, "I was awake anyways."

Moonpaw blinked. So he had been awake the whole time? She didn't know whether to feel concerned or embarrassed, as that meant that Stormheart had been aware of her brushing away his hair and acting like a worried mother. But that also meant that the man wasn't getting the rest that he desperately needed. Moonpaw was no medicine holder, but she knew that sleep helped the healing process.

"Well, then you should get some sleep," she replied.

"Should I?" Stormheart asked, though it was obvious that he was quite tired and still in a world of pain.

"Yes," Moonpaw answered. She turned as she felt someone tap her arm. One of the girls had come up to them, holding a thicker fur in her arms, her violet eyes kind but wary.

"Here," she said, "Give this to him. Cold won't help the wounds."

Moonpaw thanked her and took the fur, turning back to Stormheart and draping it over him. It was a bit small, and didn't cover anything passed his knees, but it stopped subtle shivers that had been vibrating his body.

"They're kind," Stormheart commented, eyeing the toy that had offered the fur.

"Yeah," Moonpaw agreed, "Now sleep."

The man clearly wanted to stay awake, possibly to talk with her some more, but he didn't argue with her and closed his eyes. This was satisfying to Moonpaw, and she shifted so that her back rested against the wall, her hip next to Stormheart's head. Her tail came to rest on her lap as she became content.

This situation was in no way good. They were still in LoveClan, Moonpaw remembered, still in danger. For all she knew, Scorchfire might decide that he no longer wanted Stormheart to live and have him killed. Not that Mudtooth or Blackheart would oppose, oddly enough. But at least this moment could be serene. Moonpaw figured that she had to keep that in mind.

The toys seemed to have settled down for the night. Snakeshade had managed to quiet his hand-thing, and was now lying in his nest, curled up with his tail over his legs. Swirl now struggled to remain awake, and the girl in her lap was snoring quietly. The others were getting settled in their nests, getting into their favored positions for sleeping.

The curly-haired toy looked at Moonpaw, "I'm sorry that they're doing this to you. I guess they wanted to have kits with other wild nekos, not some outsiders."

"Yes, but why?" Moonpaw asked, not really expecting an answer. It was unlikely that the LoveClanners would inform the toys on their reasons for doing things. But to her surprise, the toy answered.

"Apparently, a lot of the lovers can't get pregnant," she explained, "Or have trouble with it, at least. There have been five miscarriages in the past two months."

"Months?"

"Oh, right, you guys say 'moons'."

Moonpaw leaned back, soaking in the information. So that's why they were taking her clanmates. In all honesty, she felt pity for them, but their actions still weren't justified. She sighed, not having the energy to feel surprised any more. Instead, she decided to strike up a bit of conversation with the toy.

"So you've learned some clan words?" she asked, changing the topic.

The woman smiled, "Yes. A good friend taught me plenty of clan things."

Moonpaw quirked a brow, "You're friends with one of them?"

"Oh, no, no," the toy said with a chuckle, "I think you know him. His name's Berrypatch."

Now that was a surprise. Moonpaw sat up a bit, careful not to wake Stormheart back up. Her eyes grew wide, "You know Berrypatch?"

The toy nodded, a slight blush appearing on her face, "Yeah. In fact, I was coming to see him when I got caught."

Oh. Moonpaw thought back to the man who had almost stopped her from leaving nearly two days before. She wondered how the man had felt; waiting for his friend who never came. If he was affected, he hadn't shown it.

"I'm Blair, by the way," the toy said with a friendly smile. It was the kind of smile that could lighten the mood of even the most stressful situation; a whole-hearted, white smile. In return, Moonpaw gave her own smile.

"I'm Moonpaw," she replied.

Before Blair could say something else, Swirl's voice broke into their conversation. More than likely tired and cranky, the woman snapped, "Can't you two shut-up?"

Though Moonpaw was a bit upset by the interruption, Blair seemed to be used to the other toy. The curly-haired woman said, "Well, Moonpaw, I guess it's best that you go now. If you stay any longer, you might fall asleep, and that wouldn't be good. We'll look after your mate."

Moonpaw blushed, "Ah, yes, but I, I mean—he's not mate."

Blair giggled, "You're not fooling anyone. Now get out of here."

The toy's tone was playful, and Moonpaw continued to blush as she rose to her feet. Her legs had fallen asleep, going from numb to tingling unpleasantly. Each step was uncomfortable as a shock of what felt like thousands of wasp-stings attacking her feet and traveling up her legs. Looking back, she saw that Stormheart hadn't stirred. The man seemed to be breathing easier, something that pleased Moonpaw.

She pulled aside the hide to see that the camp was now void of life. Everyone had obviously gone to their nests. Before taking a step out, she turned her head and said to basically anyone who could hear, "Well, good-dreams."

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 **A/N: Oh my God, this has over 3k! Not exactly what I intended, but oh well.**

 **There's only one or two more chapters left, excluding the epilogue. I hope you've all liked the story so far!**

 **So, I think that there might be two side-stories being created alongside the sequel. That, or I might change the sequel's plan. But it's more than likely going to be the former idea. I don't know, we'll see. Anyways, here's today's fun fact:**

 **Fun Fact:** **Curse-words vary in the Clans. While curses like "fox-dung" are natural among the nekos, human curse-words like "fuck" were introduced by outsiders that have had interaction with no-tails. This, of course, means that they can understand no-tails to an extent.**

 **If you have any questions about the story or characters, please ask away!**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	17. Twelve: Rescue

The next couple of days fortunately passed without incident, something that Moonpaw was immensely grateful for. But, of course, that didn't last. Moonpaw now sat close to her mother, as she had been doing since the first night she had arrived. Hazelmist was attempting to carry on a one-sided conversation with her daughter, but Moonpaw was only half-listening. As she idly toyed around with some pine-needles that happened to be before her, Moonpaw tried to block out the thoughts of what was happening to one of her clanmates.

That morning, there had been a strange scent in the air that filled the lovers hut. It was a scent that was recognizable to any grown neko, and irresistible to any mature male. Moonpaw had caught whiffs of the scent plenty of times in her almost sixteen years of life. She knew well enough that it meant some lover was in her most fertile time of the year, and that males would be drooling after whoever the poor woman was for at least a quarter moon. It was with this knowledge that Moonpaw realized just what it meant now.

Sweetheart had been literally dragged from the corner of the hut that she'd curled up in, half-asleep and in panic as she was grabbed under the arms and pulled outside. The woman had screamed, kicked, and even managed to bite the soldier that held her. This, much to Moonpaw's horror, had earned Sweetheart a punch to the face, knocking her out cold. It was then that Moonpaw, and all of her other clanmates, realized that there was little that they could do to help their friend.

For all Moonpaw knew, Sweetheart was being violated in the worst of ways just across camp. That fact alone made Moonpaw feel sick, knowing that she couldn't help the woman even if she tried. Scorchfire had demonstrated that well enough. No one dared to mention how the usually fearless Sweetheart had looked genuinely terrified when she was dragged away. No one except for a few monstrous soldiers, that is; and their words were nothing but vulgar.

The lovers of LoveClan had moved away from the kidnapped women, no longer chatting with them as if they were all old friends. Even Frostleaf distanced herself from Moonpaw, whom could feel the waves of guilt and pity coming off of her friend, just like all the others.

"Hey…"

Jumping in surprise, Moonpaw's head shot up to see one of her old friends, Sunpaw. Though, after this was over, she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to call him her friend anymore. The young blonde seemed prepared to pat Moonpaw on her shoulder just as she did so. She faintly registered the movement of her mother as Hazelmist looked up as well. Sunpaw gave the older woman a very brief glance and then turned his attention back to Moonpaw.

"I just…I mean," Sunpaw took a deep breath, trying to straighten himself before continuing, "I'm sorry. I know that that doesn't help your situation, but I want you to know that I am sorry, and so are the most of us. This was all Scorchfire's idea, and we can't go against a head-male's order. I…"

He trailed off, as if having some type of conflict with himself, which Moonpaw assumed by the look in his eyes. Taking the chance, Moonpaw responded.

"Why not?"

Sunpaw looked at her with surprise, and Moonpaw felt Hazelmist move as the woman quietly left them alone, though she was sure that her mother would be within sight-range. She watched Sunpaw, waiting for his reply.

"It's against the code," he uttered, "We have no choice, it's StarClan's law."

"And you think that StarClan will approve of this?" Moonpaw countered. She'd never been this bold in all her years, but she didn't plan on stopping now. She kept her eyes on Sunpaw's, despite the blonde clearly not wanting to make eye-contact. Moonpaw sat up straighter, calmly waiting.

"No…but there's nothing we can do when Scorchfire makes an order. The ones that believe in him happen to be some of the strongest soldiers, and they'd kill any one of us if Scorchfire felt the need for it. That's what happened to Flashclaw," Sunpaw said, eyeing the ground.

Flashclaw was Sunpaw's father, whom Moonpaw remembered hearing about in at a Gathering. Scorchfire had announced that the man had been killed in an encounter with a couple dogs, something that Moonpaw now realized was a lie. Seeing as he was the only one that Moonpaw had heard of in such a case, she could guess that Flashclaw had been an example to the members of LoveClan.

Instantly she was hit with sympathy, but she knew that she couldn't pity the clan as a whole. Still, she felt the need to show her friend some compassion, as well as give him some assurance that he was still close to her, "I understand."

Sunpaw's eyes widened, and he curled his fists before saying, "You need to get away."

"What?" Moonpaw asked, genuinely confused.

"You can't even smell yourself? Moonpaw, you need to get away, you're—"

" _Now!"_

Moonpaw jumped to her feet in surprise, just as many others did, when that call rang out throughout the camp. Words could not describe her joy and hope when she saw Sandstorm burst into the clearing with Bramblestorm and Silverclaw right behind him. Only a heartbeat later, more HeartClan soldiers entered LoveClan's camp. Reactions varied from the joy of the kidnapped to the shock of the captors. Moonpaw was surprised, however, when Blackpaw came out to stand next to Blackflash and Jaypaw. The girl's eyes shone when they came in contact with Moonpaw's.

"What are you doing on LoveClan territory?" Scorchfire asked, having rushed out of the head-males' den. He stood tall, despite his obvious alarm. Blackheart and Mudtooth were close behind him, but rather than shock or worry, they seemed almost glad.

Flamepelt glanced around the camp, seeming to become angered by the sight of his clanmates. Despite this, his tone was calm when he replied to Scorchfire, "I don't think you're in any position to be asking questions."

"Yes, I believe that's our right," Whitestar agreed, "Though I feel more like beating than talking."

Scorchfire growled, a deep rumbling coating his voice, "This is our land."

"These are our clanmates," Redstorm said cooly, having come to stand behind Petalwing.

"And how selfish you are, since everyone knows that you have plenty back in your _own_ camp," Scorchfire hissed. His tail bristled upon hearing the soldier sass him, causing his followers to become angry as well. The other LoveClanners seemed to want to back off, rather than fight when they were obviously outnumbered.

"How did our patrol not sense you? We only sent them out minutes ago," the head-male questioned.

Sandstorm motioned for Berrypatch and Ravenflight, who came forward, both dragging a LoveClan soldier in each arm. They dropped the four men for everyone to see, moving back a few steps afterwards. Moonpaw saw Blackheart step back, and heard Mudtooth gasp with concern in his eyes.

"They're unconscious," Sandstorm said, his arms still crossed and his eyes not leaving Scorchfire. Hearing this seemed to calm Mudtooth's worries, as the man calmed down immediately, but still had some slight concern in his eyes.

Stormstrike spoke up, "We're not really here for talk. Give us back our clanmates and we'll be on our way."

"I'm afraid that can't be done," Scorchfire replied through clenched teeth, "Not yet anyway. You'll get your women back as soon as we have what we need."

"And what is that?" Flamepelt inquired, quirking his brow.

"Kits. You know well enough that the Epidemic sixteen years ago left us low on nekos, and now our females either infertile or troubled when it comes to conceiving," Scorchfire revealed.

Whitestar's eyes narrowed and he hissed, "So you think you can just _borrow_ our clanmates? Our sisters, mothers, and daughters?"

"Besides, it seems like you're doing well enough," Stormstrike commented as he noticed Silverdapple quietly moving towards her kits. Moonpaw tried to keep from gasping when the head-male grabbed her by the back of her neck, since she knew that the man would never actually hurt an innocent neko.

"Maybe we should pay you back, and take this woman and her kits," the man said, looking at Scorchfire through the corner of his eye, "She's the mother of your children, right? That's what you said at the Gathering."

Scorchfire didn't budge, "You can take her. You can even kill her if you want. But we keep the women."

Moonpaw stared at him, along with several of the man's clanmates. Did he really not care if the mother of his kits died, or was he calling Stormstrike's bluff? Every HeartClan member knew that the head-male was all talk and no claws in this situation, but did the LoveClanners know that? She saw tears in Silverdapple's eyes as the woman gave Scorchfire a desperate look, and Marshkit and Crowkit began to cry.

The head-male seemed to notice this, as he released the woman the very moment she began to cry, allowing her to rush to her kits.

Sandstorm eyed Scorchfire, "You really are a fool, you know."

"A fool? How, when you didn't realize what was going on for so long? If anyone's the fool then it's you three," Scorchfire replied with a smirk. Seeing it brought chills to Moonpaw's spine, and she shrunk back some. Faintly, she could hear stirring near the toys' den and saw that Stormheart was sitting outside, likely having been helped by the toys. He opened his mouth, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear, something that was rare for Stormheart.

"Blackpaw was there," he said, cringing when he shifted, "And you didn't realize. You are a fool, and that's only one reason."

Scorchfire gave him a glare that Stormheart couldn't care less about, and then turned his attention towards the girl. Blackpaw wasn't fazed by his look of hatred, and lifted her chin, "I came for Moonpaw."

Moonpaw winced when Scorchfire turned his eyes towards her, but she stayed where she was and didn't look away.

"I've had enough of this talk," he said, turning back to the head-males, "Leave now."

"Not without our clanmates," Sandstorm replied calmly. This must have snapped Scorchfire's control, as the next thing Moonpaw knew, she saw him jumping at the other man and pinning him to the ground.

And with that, the fighting started.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Only one chapter left! Jeez, it took me a while to update, but I hope that this was worth it. Please review on your thought and predictions as to what might happen in the next chapter!**

 **I also wanted to let you guys know that I have, in fact, published a new "LustClan" type story called** _ **"Bound to You"**_ **, something that I hope some of you may take interest in. I may also be publishing a story called** _ **"Family Sticks Together"**_ **, though the title may change. It'll involve incest, so don't read it if it's not your cup on tea. Anyway, here's today's fun-fact.**

 **Fun-Fact:** **The title of this story was actually meant to be a reference to the song "** _ **Blurred Lines"**_ **by Robin Thicke. This, however, was when the story was going to be more sexual, and the title now holds no meaning.**

 **And as a special treat, here's another one.**

 **Fun-Fact: ****Stormheart's bloodline can be traced to the very first head-male of HeartClan.**

 **With that said, later my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	18. Thirteen: Over

Moonpaw wasn't sure as to what she could do in this moment. When Scorchfire pinned Sandstorm, he set off a full blown battle. Now, the LoveClan soldiers that had not wanted to fight had no choice as HeartClan attacked them. LoveClan, as Scorchfire mentioned, was outnumbered by their rival, but her clanmates had not brought their own weapons with them while LoveClan had theirs to rely on. Thus, the battle was evenly matched, and Moonpaw dreaded what could possibly happen if LoveClan were to win.

She let out a yelp when she was knocked to the ground, her heart racing at the thought of a LoveClan soldier being above her, ready to kill her. But when she turned her head, she was greeted by her mother's hazel eyes.

"Mother…" she breathed with relief.

"Did you get your necessary battle training?" Hazelmist asked, and continued after getting a nod, "Well you seem to be lacking in responding to stressful situations."

Moonpaw gave a half-hearted smile, "Yeah."

Her mother let her up, taking Moonpaw's hand before standing to lead her away. As they walked, Moonpaw looked around in horror. Russethawk and Mudfeather had managed to corner Sunpaw and his mentor, with Mudfeather holding the older man in a head-lock while simultaneously pushing him down with his knee. Nettlepaw was pinned down by a large soldier whom was poised to stab him when Bramblestorm came to his rescue and pushed the man away. All around the camp, chaos reigned and various growls and cries of pain could be heard. The scent of sweat and blood filled the chilly air, causing Moonpaw to scrunch her nose at the smell.

She'd never seen a battle before, but was sure that she never wanted to see another one. Tearing her eyes from the scene, Moonpaw looked to see where her mother was leading her. Hazelmist was heading straight for the toys' den, which was the farthest from the fight. At the entrance, Stormheart watched them, his tail twitching anxiously as he obviously wanted to get up and meet them halfway, but couldn't risk opening his wounds in doing so. Blair sat beside him, looking wary as she watched the unfolding battle, her eyes darting as she focused on one soldier and then another.

The very moment that she and her mother reached the den, Moonpaw found herself being pulled down into the wounded soldier's arms. Stormheart held her close, but not tightly, and seemed to calm slightly as his eyes remained on the fighting. Moonpaw could tell that he wanted to join in, as his training had encouraged, but had no choice but to settle for watching. From the soldier's lap, she looked up when a conversation caught her attention.

"How long do you think this'll last?" Lavenderbreeze asked in a quiet voice as she stood close to Sagefeather. The woman petted her long, black hair in an attempt to soothe her.

"I couldn't say," Dovefoot replied, watching the battle take place.

Nightshimmer snorted, "It wouldn't have happened if your head-male hadn't attacked Sandstorm."

Brindlefrost glanced at her, tearing her eyes from where she'd obviously been watching Wolfthorn, "Don't you think we know that?"

Nightshimmer looked ready to snap at her when Raindrop got between them, effectively surprising both as she raised her hands to stop either one from getting closer to each other.

"Fighting here won't stop the fighting there," she said calmly, her eyes daring them to try arguing again. They stood in silence until Brindlefrost clicked her tongue and turned away, saying something about it not being worth it beneath her breath.

"Where is Blackpaw?"

Ravenpaw's voice had broken the brief silence, and she managed to send Nightshimmer into a panic as the woman looked around, calling the apprentice's name. Moonpaw was ready to get up and help when she heard a familiar voice cry out.

Whipping her head to look at the battle scene, Moonpaw gasped upon seeing Blackpaw pinned down a ways away from the fighting soldiers. The soldier that held her down was none other than Sharpglare, and the mere sight of him made Moonpaw's heart jump as she watched him wrap his fingers around the young girl's throat. As the full realization of what was happening dawned on her, Moonpaw struggled in Stormheart's arms.

"What?" the soldier asked, his tone filled with concern as Moonpaw fought to get free.

"Let me go, Stormheart, let me go!" she cried, watching as Blackpaw kicked and grabbed at Sharpglare in an attempt to get free. The soldier wore a sick smile as he squeezed the girl's throat harder. Moonpaw had to get over there. She had to save her clanmate, as no one else had even noticed what was happening. There was no way that Blackpaw could escape, being barely more than a kit up against a man nearly three times her size.

"Please, let me go! You have to—" Moonpaw cut herself off when Stormheart released her, seeing the girl's desperation. She didn't even glance back at him to say thanks, as she was far too busy racing towards Blackpaw, not even thinking as she did so. The next thing that her mind could register, she was throwing herself at Sharpglare, managing to surprise him enough to knock him off balance and force him away from Blackpaw.

Sharpglare recovered quickly, however, and once he realized that it was Moonpaw that had leaped at him, he gave her a look of rage.

"You little bitch," he snarled, jumping to stand up and earning a shriek from Moonpaw in the process as she fell on her rear. He stood over her, having picked up the dagger that he most likely dropped earlier. Panicking, Moonpaw kicked at him, landing a blow on his shin and causing him to cry out and fall to one knee. Turning, Moonpaw tried pushing herself up through her hazy mind, still only concerned with saving Blackpaw. The apprentice was leaning on one arm, holding her reddened throat as she gulped fresh air, eventually noticing Moonpaw and smiling.

With her mind on her friend, Moonpaw got to her hands and knees, beginning to push herself up in order to get to her. In doing so, she didn't notice Sharpglare getting back up, looking angrier than ever. All Moonpaw knew was that Blackpaw's smile had quickly fallen and the girl was pointing, unable to talk. As a result, Moonpaw squealed when a hand was thrusted into her hair, grabbing a fistful and yanking her up.

"I'm tired of your shit, whore," Sharpglare growled in her ear as he forced her to her feet, "So you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna kill you. But first, I'll cut off your pretty face, then I'm gonna—what the fuck?!"

Moonpaw opened her eyes, having clenched them tight when Sharpglare started talking, and was surprised to see that Blackpaw had latched onto the man's free arm. The apprentice glared at him, growling with her teeth bared. Sharpglare seemed infuriated, and threw Moonpaw to the side as he tried to pry Blackpaw off of him.

"Let go of me, you little rat!" he hissed, shaking his arm and yanking on her hair as he attempted to pull her away from him. Blackpaw, however, only decided to cling tighter. When Sharpglare moved to try and push at her face, the girl sank her teeth into his flesh, breaking the skin with no hesitation.

Sharpglare hissed in pain and forced his hand from her mouth, shoving it between his arm and her body, successfully prying her off. Moonpaw watched as Blackpaw fell to the ground, receiving a kick in the stomach once she hit the ground. The soldier then turned his attention to Moonpaw, a smirk curving his lips. Moonpaw moved to her feet, ready to defend herself. Though, she doubted that her mandatory battle training wouldn't compare to _years_ of experience as a soldier.

Dagger in hand, Sharpglare asked, "So, would you rather this than have my kits? You can still make a choice before I cut your innards out."

"What do you think?" Moonpaw replied, meeting his eyes in challenge. If she died, she'd die fighting, even if it wouldn't do much. With her eyes on the soldier, neither of them realized that Blackpaw had gotten back up, bruises and cuts apparent yet still willing to fight.

Sharpglare's smirk turned into a sneer, "I guess it's for the best. With that stone-man of yours, I doubt you'd be tight at all."

With that, she swung the dagger down towards her. Moonpaw brought her arms up defensively, surprised by the suddenness of the attack. She expected to feel the sting of her flesh slicing open in two parts. She expected to feel the chill of the air meet her soft, red insides. She expected to watch as her dribbled down her body and drip to the ground.

Instead, she heard a cry of pain in front of her. Opening her eyes, Moonpaw was horrified to see Blackpaw fall to the ground, face-down. Sharpglare seemed surprised as well, blinking in confusion at the young girl. Moonpaw didn't even care that he could still kill her as she fell to her knees and turned Blackpaw over. The girl was slashed; a bright-red wound having made its way from her left shoulder, nearly reaching the right side of her hips. Its metallic scent stung Moonpaw's nose, but she couldn't care less.

"Blackpaw, oh great StarClan…" she said in a horrified tone. She rested the girl's head on her lap when she whimpered. Blackpaw opened her green eyes, and Moonpaw could see how quickly they'd begun to fade. Were these the eyes of impending death?

"What's...wrong?" Blackpaw asked, her voice scratchy from being strangled earlier.

Moonpaw nodded, "You're hurt...you're dying."

"I know," the younger girl replied, "But..you're okay…right?"

"Yes, I'm okay," Moonpaw replied. She kept her eyes locked on Blackpaw's in spite of having to watch as the life was draining from the young apprentice's eyes. Blood was seeping into Moonpaw's coverings, and her hands were becoming sticky as she held Blackpaw close.

"Then…this…is fine," Blackpaw said through shallow breaths. She proceeded to cough, and Moonpaw's eyes widened when she saw blood seeping from the girl's mouth and flying out with the coughs.

"No," Moonpaw argued, "It's not. Blackpaw, you're too young. Why did you get in the way? I—"

Blackpaw cut her off, "You're alive... so…it's…fine."

The younger girl's voice was fading, her words becoming more spaced out. A small smile was placed on her lips, and Moonpaw did her best to return it, though her effort was half-hearted. Moonpaw was at a loss of what to do, and did the only thing that she could think of. She pressed her forehead to Blackpaw's and began to purr. In doing so, she felt herself calm down, and felt Blackpaw relax.

"I…love…you…" Blackpaw's voice faded to quiet, and so Moonpaw could only guess that she'd been trying to say that she loved her purr. Deciding that this was what the girl likely said, Moonpaw continued purring until she heard the last breath leave Blackpaw's small body.

This was when Moonpw noticed that the camp had gone quiet. She lifted her head, and saw that everyone was looking at Flamepelt, who had Scorchfire pinned beneath him, one hand pressed firmly to the LoveClan male's throat. Scorchfire struggled, but Flamepelt used the rest of his body to keep him down.

Stormstrike spoke, "We could kill him now. We could take all of you over; take your territory, your kits, anything. But we will not, because we know that doing so will solve nothing."

He turned his attention to Mudtooth and Blackheart, "You two have allowed Scorchfire to make every decision, haven't you? You've never once stood up to him because he is your elder. That is not the way of head-males."

"Our ancestors decided to have multiple leaders to prevent incidents like this. So that more than one man chooses the fate of his clan. It is the third part of our code: There will be more than one leader at all times. At least two of them must agree in order for a decision to be made. You two have allowed Scorchfire to out-power you, and have broken the code in doing so. Perhaps you should not be head-males any longer, but that is not our decision. As of now, we will take our clanmates home as we intended to do _without_ a fight."

With that said, Sandstorm nodded to the HeartClan soldiers, who went to collect their kidnapped clanmates. Moonpaw sat there, with a dead apprentice in her lap, wondering if the battle had really ended. Of course, she realized, it had. Sharpglare had run off, though Moonpaw wasn't sure as to why. She looked up as Ravenflight approached her, and saw the man's eyes take in Blackpaw as well as the grief that filled them.

"Come on," he said, "I'll take her to Blackflash. It's time to go home."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Sorry if the ending seemed abrupt, but that's the way I planned it. I also apologize to anyone that was saddened by Blackpaw's death, because I know I was.**

 **As you may have guessed, this is the last chapter. After this, all that's left is the epilogue. I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone that helped out with this story by giving OCs, especially** _ **MagaNerd**_ **, who has provided more help than I could ever thank him/her for.**

 **With that said, here's your fun-fact.**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Moonpaw's birthday is December 29** **th** **.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	19. Epilogue: Peaceful

**WARNING: Sex**

* * *

Looking around the forested part of HeartClan's territory, Moonpetal was pleased to see that leaf-bare was losing its grip on the land. Water dripped from the branches of trees as the warm sun melted away any remaining snow, occasionally falling into her hair, which she didn't mind at all. Birds were twittering at they rushed about the trees, hoping to catch the attention of the opposite sex for their mating season. At one point, Moonpetal spotted a doe cautiously making her way towards the moor, her belly swollen with a fawn. Unfortunately, the rare sight was quickly ruined when the doe ran off after hearing a stick snap.

Turning, Moonpetal gave a smile when she saw the culprit of the snapping sound. Stormheart had allowed her to run farther ahead of him, having said that he'd catch up, which he had now done. The large man seemed dismayed and kicked the stick that he'd stepped on away.

"Was hoping to surprise you," he said. The disappointment in his tone was very subtle from his usual one, and only nekos that were close to him could sense the changes in Stormheart's mood and voice.

 _Close like me,_ she thought fondly.

Only two months ago, Stormheart had asked her to be his mate, having been courting her since she earned her full name. Of course, he hadn't seen anything wrong with asking in front of everyone during their night-meal, thus bringing on many nudges from Honeyfur and congratulations from Ashcloud. Jayfrost had seemed happy for his sister, having a smile on his face despite not leaving Darkpaw's side, and Hazelmist actually cried with joy. The reaction that was the best of all had to be the happiness that filled Stormheart's eyes when Moonpetal agreed, though her mate insisted that the blush on her face was better. Raincloud had been happy to commence a Bonding that very night; something that Moonpetal thanked him for many times over, as she knew that he had been very tired at the time.

"I'm sure you would have," Moonpetal replied, "If you weren't so distracted, that is."

She swished her tail, purposefully sweeping her fertile scent towards her mate. She wasn't sure if it was her heat or not, but Moonpetal was being much bolder than usual. Hazelmist had told her what might happen when her first heat struck, and audacity was one of the possible changes in behavior that she mentioned. Glancing back, she wondered if she had been too bold, but was surprised by the lustful look on Stormheart's face. Quickly, she turned and spoke to him again.

"You said that you had a special place in mind," she reminded him, not having to mention what she was referring to. This would be her first mating, and Moonpetal certainly didn't want it to happen right there on the damp ground just before the moor.

Her mate seemed to forget what she was talking about before he remembered and nodded, moving forward to take the lead. Or so Moonpetal had thought. Just as she figured he'd pass her. He grasped her hand and began urging her to walk beside him, keeping a light pace so that she wouldn't have trouble keeping up with those long legs.

He led her along, picking through various forms of undergrowth that stood in their way and side-stepping puddles of what was once snow. The spot he'd picked out wasn't far away, and Moonpetal nearly bumped into him when he stopped, having been looking around the forest distractedly as they walked.

"We're here?" she asked, earning a nod. She slipped her hand from his and looked around the place that they'd be mating. It was a very small clearing, dried completely due to the branches parting just above it to let plenty of sunshine through. The grass there was still young, but lush and green all the same.

Stormheart quietly took her hand again and led her into the clearing where they sat down before each other. Moonpetal was hoping that he'd be the one to initiate, since she knew next to nothing when it came to the act, but her mate seemed just as awkward as she was, and she swore that there was a very faint pinkness to his cheeks.

She was glad, really; knowing that she wasn't the only inexperienced one here. After a few heartbeats of silence, Stormheart took a breath as if trying to collect himself and spoke up.

"Your coverings," he said, "I'll deal with them."

Moonpetal took a moment to process that this was actually more of a question than a statement, and nodded in consent. Immediately, and much to her surprise, Stormheart was pulling at her covering with what she was sure was eagerness. He loosened the strings at the front, causing her covering to lose its grip on her body and fall from around her shoulders, bunching at her hips.

Blushing, Moonpetal tried to ignore the way Stormheart eyed her shapely breasts and pointed to his own coverings, "Should I do yours?"

"You can do what you wish," Stormheart said, tearing his eyes away from Moonpetal's chest.

Gulping, the woman wriggled completely free of her covering and moved to release her mate. Upon touching his covering, she noticed that he was already hard, and wondered what was in store for her as she tugged down, allowing the swollen shaft to spring free. Moonpetal jumped back, a heavy shade of red coating her cheeks with heat as she observed her mate's penis.

Though she hasn't seen anything to compare it to, Moonpetal was sure that Stormheart had to be considered well-endowed, as she guessed it to be around eight to nine inches long, and quite thick. The pure male scent of it; musky and potent, made her intimate parts tremble with want. It twitched under her gaze, and Moonpetal felt her lower muscles tighten up as they became needy.

"Is something wrong?" Stormheart asked, his tone suggesting that he felt self-conscious. Moonpetal, however, wondered how he could possibly feel that way with such an amazing tool. However, she would admit that it was intimidating, just like the rest of him at first glance.

"I'm fine—it's fine," she assured him, "So, I guess we should continue..?"

Stormheart straightened, nodding as he gathered up his confidence. Moonpetal smiled at how determined her mate looked. That smile quickly faded with surprise as she found herself on her back, her soldier directly above her with his large limbs and body caging her in. His hair created somewhat of a curtain around their faces, as if shielding them from the rest of the world around them. The position was so intimate that Moonpetal's face soon grew red once more, this time with a mixture of embarrassment and lust. Her mate, despite the imposing position, had eyes that promised nothing but want and gentleness as he looked down at her.

"There will be pain," he reminded her, gently nudging her legs open with his knees as he got into position.

"I know. I'm ready," Moonpetal replied, making sure to pour all of her trust and love for him into her words. It seemed effective as Stormheart regained his assurance and poked at her with his rod as he prepared for entry.

"You can scratch me, bite me, anything," he told her. Before she had a chance to respond, Moonpetal let out a short, high-pitched squeak when he thrusted into her quickly. Her nails dug into his arms as she felt him fill her, tearing at her barrier as he did so. It hurt, yes, but only for a second. Like a bee's sting, Moonpetal had to wait only a few moments to get used to the sting. All the while, Stormheart remained still above her, letting her insides twitch and twist around him as she adjusted to his girth.

Taking a few breaths, Moonpetal squeezed her mate's arm, "You can move now."

Stormheart didn't respond. He slowly pulled back, almost leaving her warmth before pushing back inside. Again, Moonpetal winced, closing her eyes as she tried to calm herself. Stormheart continued his ministrations, slowly gaining in speed as Moonpetal felt the initial pain leave her body and be replaced by something different. This something was alien to her, a dull feeling that gradually blossomed with sparks of pleasure of the likes that she'd never felt before.

With her tunnel begging for more, pulsating with heat, she squeezed her mate's arm again to gain his attention. Stormheart stopped instantly, looking to her face for any sign of discomfort or distress.

"Faster," Moonpetal panted, "It doesn't hurt anymore…so don't hold back, okay?"

Stormheart blinked at her before nodding, "Yes."

That could have been considered a warning in some context, as Moonpetal squealed when Stormheart started to move deeper into her body, harder and faster than he'd been doing before. His cock twitched inside of her as he thrusted, and her wetness brought on squelching sounds that would have embarrassed Moonpetal if she weren't being overcome by pleasure at the moment.

"Hah…ah…ngh, Stormheart..." she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist as he moved his arms, lifting her hips up to press securely to his own, opting to press his face into the crook of her neck. Moonpetal gasped as she felt his hot tongue travel over her flesh, the saliva cooling her heated skin for only a moment. He continued; licking, sucking, kissing, and even nibbling at her neck as he thrusted into her depths. Moonpetal was a mess, moaning and calling his name with abandon as her core clenched around him desperately, urging him to relieve her of her heat.

Stormheart's tongue slid from her collarbone, up the side of her neck, to make little circles around her jaw-line. Moonpetal, being too busy moaning, gave him the perfect opening to stick his tongue into her mouth. She gasped, but quickly fell into the rhythm of twirling her tongue with his as he invaded and felt every part of her mouth, sliding across the roof and narrowly missing her teeth. Moonpetal's hands, now on his wide back, gripped at him; her nails dragging along his flesh and leaving lovely marks that just barely broke the skin. Not that he really seemed to care.

"Ohh…ahh…I—ah, Stormheart, I'm going to—I think I'm…" she couldn't get the words out through her moans, her climax taking over as she screamed her mate's name over and over in a mantra of pleasure.

"Stormheart! Stormheart! _Stormheart!"_

Stormheart grunted as Moonpetal's core clenched tightly around him and convulsed with its muscles left quivering around him as a 'thank you'. The man gripped her hips closer and began humping her frantically as he sought his own release. His balls slapped against her, large and heavy, promising a potent load of sperm for her. At last his pace faltered and he grunted, stopping completely as he pushed as far into her as he could go, pressing the tip of his cock to her cervix, and his hold on her hips tightening to the point that Moonpetal knew that they'd bruise but couldn't care less. She moaned as heat burst into her, flooding her core and rushing into her fertile womb.

As the aftershocks of their orgasms faded, Stormheart slowly set Moonpetal back on the ground, pulling free of her as he did so. Moonpetal tried to ignore the feeling of hot semen pooling out of her lips and onto the grass. Stormheart's arms shook with his exhaustion, and he flopped down beside her.

"That was amazing," Moonpetal said after her breathing settled, "You were amazing."

"Yes. You were good as well," Stormheart replied, now wiping the hair from her sweaty face, leaning over to kiss her after doing so. Moonpetal nuzzled him, turning to face him completely.

"So, what now?" she asked.

"Sleep," Stormheart said simply.

Moonpetal felt the faint breeze on her sweaty skin and shivered. Despite new-leaf having just begun, it was still a bit chilly, so she asked, "Should we get dressed? Maybe head back to camp?"

Stormheart shook his head and stood up to move behind a nearby tree. Curiously, Moonpetal leaned up on one elbow, and was surprised when he came back with a thick fur blanket.

"You got that ready before we came here?" Moonpetal questioned, about to sit up. Stormheart was there before she could, however, and he gently pushed be back down before getting beside her and settling as well.

The two lay together, quietly enjoying each other's comfort. Moonpetal rested her head on Stormheart's chest, quickly falling asleep to the rhythm of his heartbeat and breathing. Then she felt one of his hands press against her belly. She opened one eye, having been on the verge of sleep and noticed the soft look on her mate's face.

"Kits," he said simply, rubbing her belly. Moonpetal smiled.

"Yes," she said, "I guess I'm pregnant now, huh?"

"If you are not, I'll make it so."

Moonpetal laughed, lightly smacking Stormheart's chest. Yes, life in HeartClan could get any more peaceful than these tender kind of moments. Not by a long shot.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: And we are done! Wow, it's been a long ride guys! Once more, I'd like to thank everyone who helped me out, especially** _ **MagaNerd.**_

 **You guys can expect the sequel to be published either tomorrow morning or sometime this weekend, with** _ **Origin**_ **following closely behind it. With that said, here's your fun-fact** **.**

 **Fun-Fact:** **The names of Stormheart and Moonpetal's kits are Thornkit, Fawnkit, and Blackkit (named after Blackpaw).**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


End file.
